yukina's heart goes achy-breaky arm
by Axletia Rosonetis
Summary: When Lisa breaks her arm, Yukina takes it upon herself and the band to take care of her. But Roselia was never good at housekeeping, least of all their band's leader...
1. Chapter 1

_Chap 01 – lisa's freckles make the heart go dududu_

 _Eight years ago…_

Yukina felt her nails almost pierce through the blankets, her gaze never once leaving the closet opposite of the curtained windows. Every few seconds a faint flicker of light bounced along the walls, followed by a muffled crack of thunder. She gripped the blankets tighter and tighter each time but never made a sound, not even once. Papa never cried or complained, and neither did Mama. She was getting too old to act like such a child all the time; no one would ever take her seriously if she never tried facing her fears.

Still, though…she still couldn't knock off this feeling of irrational discomfort. It'd been going on for a while now, and she still couldn't get out of bed at night, especially when it stormed like this. Multiple times she woke up as early as she could, just so she could wash her soiled nightgown and sheets before she had to eat breakfast and go to school. It was embarrassing, but being responsible was one of the Minato family's key strengths, so she refused to let her parents know. Face her fears…be brave…be a leader…

When the phone rang, her eyes bulged and she bit her lip to hold her gasp. Only one person ever called this late, and luckily her parents were heavy sleepers. She willed herself to untuck the blankets just a bit, maneuvering her arm close enough to the phone. Wincing as another flash of thunder appeared, she pressed the phone against one side of her face and pressed the enter button. "Lisa. I keep telling you not to call me so late at night," she mumbled.

"You're always so busy during the day, thouuuugh," Lisa's whine through the phone sounded as if she were right in the room with her. Yukina tried her best but failed at suppressing a small smile. "Besides, we're both up right now, so why not make the best of it? Are you having a hard time sleeping?"

"…no," Yukina lied flatly, pulling the blanket back over her head. "I was just about to fall asleep when you called."

"But you answered anyway, haha. What's keeping you up? The thunder?"

Yukina bit her lip. Lisa acted like an airhead sometimes, but she was smarter than she let most people believe. "No. Well, the loud noises make me a little bit uncomfortable, but there's been something that's been bothering me.'

"Oh?"

"But you can't tell anyone," Yukina added quickly, puffing her cheeks. "Your mouth's gonna fall off one of these days with all the talking you do at school. This is…a big kid problem."

"I'm not, I'm not! Your secrets are the only secrets I keep to myself, Yukina-chan!"

"…..that's reassuring." Not sounding reassured at all, Yukina let out a quiet sigh and rubbed the bridge of her nose. She knew Lisa meant well, which was why she trusted Lisa with this problem more than anyone else. "Lisa, I'm convinced there's something in my closet. The inside's been looking pretty creepy at night. My mom's been getting mad at me because I've been a little scared on opening it up during the day, too. I thought I could suffocate whatever might be in there."

Lisa's tone was now serious. "Did you check to see if anything was there?"

"Well, I took a glimpse or two. Everything's a lot scarier in the dark, Lisa. I've been trying to build up my courage to check soon."

There was a long silence on the other end. Then, "I can help you. Just leave it all to me. Hey, you got your window open, by any chance?"

"…yes. It's raining, but it's still a little stuffy in here. I require only the freshest of air."

"'Kay. Don't mind, Yukina-chan, I'll save you!"

"I don't need sav- _click_ -…Lisa?"

Met with the sudden dial tone, Yukina wriggled under the covers to properly hang up the phone. Honestly, Lisa was always so unpredictable. She didn't remember how long they'd been friends, but she knew her parents were surprised that they became so close from the beginning. While Yukina was always the quiet, studious bookworm at school, Lisa was the popular one, able to make friends with anyone and everyone. It was something about her smile that attracted Yukina to her, and often they wound up getting in trouble at school. Yukina's parents weren't exactly… _thrilled_ about Lisa, but they tolerated her because she was Yukina's only friend. It was nice.

Yukina looked up at the ceiling, watching another flash light up the middle. Then, there was knocking. A shiver went up her spine and she shut her eyes tight, frozen in place. If the knocking went away, it meant the monsters were outside instead and she could sleep in peace. They wouldn't go away completely, but it would give her more time to make a plan. Perhaps this would be the time she settled things with them.

Another knock, then another. Finally, the knocking became so persistent that Yukina opened her eyes and got out of bed, daring to let intuition influence her judgment in order to preserve keeping her parents asleep. Balling her hands into fists, the girl took heavy steps as she walked to the window, grasping its edges as tightly as she could as she stared right into the huge, gray eyes of Lisa. The other girl was _soaked/i. "Lisa," she mumbled._

The gray eyes blinked twice in apology. Yukina remained stone-faced as she opened the window and grabbed cold, wet hands, pulling her friend inside her room. Lisa dropped to her knees, letting a flashlight roll away from her legs, panting. After she caught her breath, she looked up at Yukina and gave a small smile. "Sorry. I botched the momentum."

"Lisa, you can't climbing up my house like this. Our parents are going to get mad. Why are you here?"

"Gonna check for monsters, of course. I told you I was going to save you."

"That's pretty bold of you, Lisa. They're not going to stay still while you check the closet."

Lisa tilted her head. "They will. Stay behind me."

There was a vacant look in her eyes that made Yukina agree. She was on the opposite end at first as Lisa crept closer to the closet, flashlight turned on and bright. Then before she knew it, she was pressed right up against Lisa's back, her arms wrapped around the brunette's waist, shivering. All of that fear within her came rushing back, knowing that someone else believed in the possibility as well.

At least Lisa was strong…

She screamed and held on as tight as she could as soon as Lisa flung open the closet doors, frantically waving the flashlight back and forth. Her parents would come in any minute, but she had to find out the truth. If anyone was brave enough to find out the truth, it'd be Lisa. She didn't even realize how tight her grip was until Lisa's hands covered her own, gently prying them away from her neck. "There, there, Yukina-chan, they're all gone," she said gently. "No monster crud, either."

"It's..over? Already?"

The lights turned on in the bedroom. Yukina finally realized that she had wrapped herself around Lisa like a koala bear and failed to stop the blush that quickly spread across her cheeks. Letting her legs relax and dangle over her friend's hips, she shyly glanced over at Lisa, who returned it with a sheepish grin. "The day is saved! Oh, Mr. and Mrs. Minato! Sorry to wake you up…"

* * *

 _Eight years later…_

Yukina leaned against the concrete wall and crossed her arms, shutting her eyes as she basked in the warm sunlight. An occasional breeze blew through her hair, giving her slight comfort. Outside, she was the calm, collected leader of Roselia, but inside she felt knot after knot tumble in her stomach. Usually she only made wise decisions, meant to further the goals and ambitions of the band. There was a neat, color-coded calendar and planner on her bedroom desk, keeping track of all of Roselia's individual activities, practices, and sporadic off days. To consider this as a rare off day was…questionable. Unthinkable.

She hoped Sayo wouldn't be too hard on her.

They came within a few minutes. On time, even on an off day. Ako could be heard from across the street, skipping and dancing and taking an occasional sip of her fruit smoothie. Next to her Rinko practically blended in with the scenery, giving Ako her full attention by not saying much and occasionally smiling in response. They goofed around a lot, but they often cheered Yukina up when she needed it the most. Not far behind them was Sayo on her bike, a contrast of cool and careful with her long hair flying in the air under a Hello Kitty bike helmet. The stiff, serious expression on her face meant that even though it was an off day, Roselia was her primary thought.

Sayo was not going to approve of this….

Yukina greeted them with a wave and a smile. Instantly Ako was at her side, wrapping her arms around her neck in a tight embrace. She flinched but patted the younger girl's shoulder, mostly used to her overly affectionate personality by now. Holding Ako up in her arms, she looked like a lost mom in the woods while the others surrounded her. "….hi," she finally mustered.

"Yukina-san, it's been forever since we've hung out on an off day!" Ako cried, grinning. "You still gotta try the game with me and Rinrin!"

Rinko nodded. Sayo worked on placing her bike safety gear in her bike basket before responding with a curt, "Hi. Where's Lisa?"

There it was. Yukina kicked herself for not being mentally prepared with an answer, but it was never going to happen. All she could do was say the truth; she was probably overthinking this. Lisa would say she was overthinking this, she was sure. Stretching her face into a painful smile, she squeezed Ako's waist and looked in Sayo's direction without actually having to look at her straight in the eye. "Well, Lisa should be right in her house right here, as long as she hasn't gone out while I wasn't looking. She….broke her arm the other day. She had a swinging competition with some of the local kids and lost. The doctor joked that at her age, it should've been her head."

No one responded, everyone wide-eyed. The silence felt more suffocated than Yukina had expected, making her slightly unnerved. Roselia had its issues with Lisa's absences and tardiness before, and nobody liked to admit it, but losing her was pretty demoralizing to the band overall. Lisa wouldn't be able to practice for a while, but she hoped that what she mentioned next would produce _some_ kind of spark within them. "But why we are here today? Lisa's parents had already booked their vacation for this week, and since she did not want to bother them, Lisa decided to stay behind. She's alone. And probably needs assistance. Roselia should assist in her recovery while she's alone so she doesn't slack off and delay the process."

More silence. Yukina held her breath, hoping she worded it precisely enough so that everyone was convinced to help. Finally, Ako leaned back and looked up at her, a determined spark in her eyes. "Lisa nee-chan's always helped me when I'm sick or sad or having trouble studying!" she cried, puffing her cheeks. "She's so helpful, just like Sis! Aaaand~ it's always fun to hang out with her. Right, Rinrin?"

"Y-yeah," Rinko agreed, nodding.

They all held their breath, waiting for Sayo. If Sayo said no, it wouldn't be the end of the world to the plan, but she'd be losing a big source of reason. She gave in too easily to everyone's whims on her own. It looked like Sayo was going to hesitate at first, but finally she crossed her arms and sighed, a small smile on her face. "Well, we don't want her slacking off more than usual. We'll never get anywhere this way."

A solid victory. Now that that was out of the way, Yukina waked over to Lisa's house and hugged herself against the gutters. Sayo raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing, Minato-san?" she asked.

"No worries. Lisa used to climb my house's gutters all the time when we were kids. I think we can manage this if we go up single-file."

Wrapping her legs around the gutters, she lifted herself up a few centimeters from the ground, stretching her arms high in the air. Funny, she was having a hard time climbing up any higher. Lisa always made it look so easy. How could she have climbed so high _and_ keep herself up without her arms giving out to fatigue? Already Yukina's arms felt like pudding, but if she gathered just enough willpower, she could reach Lisa's window…

She shimmied up another few centimeters. Sayo walked up to the front door and knocked.

A few seconds later, a bright-eyed girl with towels wrapped around her head and waist answered the door. Immediately her face lit up a bright red in embarrassment. "O-o-oh, S-S-Sayo-san," she spluttered. "I-I- you're not the pizza man."

Sayo frowned at her. "Why would you answer the door dressed like _that_?"

"I….never mind, I haven't actually ordered pizza yet….heh…"

"….."

"Lisa nee-saaaan~"

Ako flung herself forward, wrapping her arms around the older girl's neck. Lisa ruffled her hair with one hand while trying to keep her towel up around her waist with her broken arm, pushing the cast against her chest. Her initial shock gone, she did her best to make her makeshift Lisa smile, although she appeared to still be slightly flustered. "Hi, guys," she greeted with a wave. "Nice to see you in the area. Um, there wasn't band practice today, was there?"

Sayo shook her head. "Off day. Minato-san told us about what happened. I'm sorry…" Her voice trailed off as she awkwardly gestured to Lisa's cast. "Minato-san suggested we aid you so don't slack off on your recovery. We…should've come to your aid sooner honestly."

"Thanks, Sayo-san. Where is Yukina, anyway?"

Rinko pointed to the side of the house. Yukina had shimmied her way halfway up the drainpipe and was still holding on for dear life, panting. Immediately Lisa ran out the door, barefoot, looking up with an expression of mixed amazement and horror. "Yukina!" she yelled. "What are you doing up there, honey?!"

Yukina's face scrunched up in utter concentration. She looked like she was about to pass out at any moment. "Lisa," she said quietly. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do. You want me to wait upstairs for you?"

Yukina groaned affirmatively. Lisa smiled, ushering the others inside as best as she could. Sayo was the last to go in, giving her one flash of worry before shaking her head. Even she had doubts in her abilities. Well, it wasn't like Roselia's leader was known for unpredictable moves. Grimacing, Yukina pushed forward, pulling herself up with all of her effort. There should've been no rational reason not to just use the front door…but it was Lisa's house. If she could just lend Lisa her strength at least once….but first she had to prove she even _had_ strength.

Strength seemed moderately difficult to obtain.

"Hhh…hhhh…."

Her fingertips brushed against thin air, then something straight and rough. Wood. She made it. Quickly her hands gripped onto the windowsill as she propped herself up on her elbows, panting. Her legs, still wrapped around the drainpipe, felt more and more like jelly by the second; they felt like they would simply fall through at any moment. All she could do was trust in her friend and teammate as she placed her chin on the sill as well. "Lisa…." she murmured weakly. "Lisa?..."

Nothing at first. Then, Lisa's voice could be heard from the other side of the closed window. "Yukina? Are you up here yet?"

"Lisa, I'm stuck…"

Something wet dropped on her head, then another something and a third something. A breeze followed, whirling through her long hair. Rain. It was going to rain. A shiver ran down her spine and she froze in place just as the window opened. In a second Lisa's head popped out and their eyes met, Yukina focusing on her friend's wet hair. "Lisa. Why don't you ever wear clothes whenever your parents aren't home?"

"Hmm? Oh, you know, I get busy…"

"….you're binge-watching dramas again, aren't you?"

Lisa's gaze dropped down to the floor as she blushed. "It's an investment. Hey, it feels like it's going to rain. Can you extend your arms just a little so I can grab ahold of you?"

"I can't. If I do that, I'll fall."

"You can trust me, can't you? You'll be stuck there for a while like a stray cat otherwise."

"…yeah. Don't drop me."

Taking a deep breath, Yukina untangled her legs and let go of the sill, extending her arms to the inside of the room. Immediately her hands were met by Lisa's soft, moisturized ones. Gathering the remaining of her strength, she took a shorter breath and pushed forward, slinking her way through the window. This wouldn't look very proper to the neighborhood. Her rear end still stuck out, although the long pencil skirt and stockings protected her from being completely exposed, but anyone could easily snap a picture of the Roselia leader's butt.

The more important issue, however, was that her bottom was starting to get cold and wet.

Wiggling her butt high in the air, she pressed her feet against the drainpipe to give her that final boost, and- oof.

"Hughhh."

Yukina coughed for a few seconds before catching her breath. Only half of what she laid on felt like carpet, and it didn't feel like Lisa's carpet or her shag rugs. It was…rougher. The other half felt hard and warm. Did Lisa finally get a cat? She knew she had been working on her parents for years, and every year they'd come closer and closer to saying yes. Now that they travelled constantly and Lisa had a part-time job, maybe her wish had finally come true-

Lisa's face. Lisa's face was right next to her own. Her fingers were tangled within Lisa's hair.

She was lying on top of Lisa, wasn't she?

Her heart skipped a beat nevertheless. She was used to Lisa exposing herself by now. Since they were friends from a young age, the brunette felt completely comfortable sharing everything with her. _Everything_. Over the years they shared baths together, went skinny-dipping together, shared each other's clothes, went to the spa together…all at Lisa's insistence, of course.

Yukina didn't really mind….Yukina didn't really _care_. As long as she was treated to a bowl of soba or a view of a nice cat, it didn't really matter to her if she was dragged around to wherever. Only now was the close proximity and the floral-scented shampoo …intimidating? Threatening? No, she didn't really feel intimidated or threatened. Perhaps all of that physical exertion was finally getting to her.

Her heart skipped a beat again, and her face felt hot. At the very least, this positioning was extremely _uncomfortable_.

"Lisa, please put some clothes on."

* * *

 _Hi, this is Am with her first multi-chapter in a...hot potato. I don't really write these too often because I often can't think of scenarios that I could feasibly keep up with for more than a oneshot, but this was really inspired. Bandori's one of the special fandoms that I've been keeping track with lately, and Roselia's my favorite band, so one thing led to another. At the very least, if I make you wanting for more, I think I'm doing this right, eh? Heh._

 _Here's to me keeping this up probably, yaaaay. \o/_


	2. Chapter 2

_Chap 02 – whistle while your wife does dishes in spanish_

The rain began gaining speed. Yukina watch the drops streak down the window as she sat against the bed, waiting for Lisa to get dressed. As usual, she was taking forever picking out an outfit, which left Yukina to examine her room. It had been a few years since she'd been in Lisa's room, and things were different. Everything used to be blindingly pink. It would hurt her eyes every time she set foot in it. And messy. It would often hurt her _feet_ every time she set foot in it because she would step on some needles or trip over a doll arm or easy-bake oven. Getting Lisa to clean up anything used to be as tedious as getting teeth pulled by the dentist.

Now everything was a lot less cluttered. No more blinding pinks, and no more obnoxious boy band and visual kei posters on her walls. Those posters were replaced by a few Roselia posters and various photographs of the band and her other friends. The biggest one was of her and Lisa under a waterfall, wet and only in their bathing suits, both of them smiling. That had been taken shortly before her father began having music troubles. Life had felt so much simpler back then…

She frowned. Lined up against the wall were beige, white, and pink pillows. In the middle was the same cat cushion Lisa owned for ages. Leaning over she grabbed the cushion and hugged it close to her chest, nibbling the one worn ear. Ah, the same bite marks. Finally letting her guard down, she let her shoulders droop and watched as Lisa walked in from the bathroom in a bra and a pair of purple sweatpants, hairbrush in hand. "Hey, do you think the others would mind if I just walked around like this?" she asked.

"Yes," Yukina said flatly. "Don't just go around flaunting everything to everybody."

"Hmm, I'll just slap on whatever, then."

Lisa pulled a simple white shirt with a frill around the chest area over her head and flopped sideways on the bed, dangling her legs over Yukina's shoulders. Yukina set her chin on top of the cat cushion, her eyes lazily meeting Lisa's as the brunette began brushing her hair. "Mom and Dad'll probably feel more at ease knowing I have company over. I could brag that Roselia's going to host its first-ever American block party!" she joked, grinning. Then, a few seconds later, her face momentarily dropped. "By the way, are you sure we didn't have band practice today?"

"If we did, Sayo would've finished the job and cut your arm off."

"Ahaha, don't joke like that…" Lisa redirected her gaze, knowing Yukina was only half-joking. "You don't think anyone would mind if I actually ordered pizza, do you? I don't think I have anything in the house to cook for five…"

"You live here. Do as you please."

"Ooh, so cold, Yukinaaa~ I'll order after I finish brushing my hair."

Her toes pressed and wiggled against Yukina's shoulders, and Yukina pressed back in return, idly chewing on the cat cushion. Pizza wasn't her favorite food in the world, but it wasn't a bad option. Pizza Hut's seafood mix pizza, complete with shrimp, squid, and vegetables, made up for all of that cheese. The others wouldn't mind, either, even Sayo, who was notorious for being a picky eater.

 _Grrr…._

Yukina stared deadpan at her stomach. Now that she thought about it, she forgot to eat lunch earlier. So much for good band dieting…

She sighed into the cushion. One moment her eyes shut; the next Lisa poked at her shoulder with her big toe, and she yawned. It was too easy to get comfortable in this house. Standing up, she stretched her arms and leaned against Lisa, who was finishing fixing her ponytail. It was about time they joined the others.

When they descended the stairs, Yukina wondered if maybe they should've taken a little more time. The other three members of Roselia were sitting on the couch in front of the TV, watching some foreign drama. Ako and Rinko were on either side of a grumpy-looking Sayo, each squeezing one of her elbows. Their eyes wide and sparkling, the girls looked deeply immersed in the dark-haired woman with a gun. It was always hard to tell what Sayo was thinking, considering she usually had that sour look on her face, but she wasn't shrugging off their touch. If anything, Yukina suspected, Sayo was probably the most interested in the drama.

While Lisa went into the kitchen to place the order, Yukina grabbed the remote and turned down the volume. Immediately the girls' attention snapped to her. She blankly stared back, placing a finger over her lips. "Lisa is ordering dinner for us," she said in a low voice. "We can discuss this week's plans then. What are you watching?"

Ako nearly burst out of her seat, fists balled in excitement. "Yukina-san! This drama is everything we need to recreate in our next PV! I don't know exactly what's happening, but it's _everything_!" She gestured to the TV, then turned her head and looked at Rinko. "Rinrin, do you know anything that's happening?"

Rinko pointed to the TV. "I think she's about to kill someone."

 _BANG! BANG!_

Yukina covered her ears, wincing. On the TV the dark-haired woman stood over a man, who laid in a puddle of increasing amounts of blood. She was cackling. Sayo pressed her lips together, grimacing. "Is she really going to do nothing besides gloat and leave his body there? She's going to end up in jail with that kind of boastful attitude."

"But she's the main character! Main characters in dramas always win in the end!" Ako countered.

Sayo leaned forward, pressing her hand against the couch. Yukina had a gut feeling that this wasn't the first drama she'd ever watched. "Or they die, Udagawa-san. Do you ever think about the consequences of any action? Laura could've handled Javier's affair with her neighbor in at least three or four ways, but she chose to kill him so she can elope with his younger brother, Jesus. Now, do you really think the court is going to side with her just because this was rooted in a case of infidelity?"

"…you speak Spanish, Hikawa-san?"

"…my sister is more fluent than I am. This summer she and Lisa are supposed to go to Nicaragua for some volunteer work."

Ako grabbed her arm, sparkles in her eyes. "Will you tell me all of the dramas you and your sister watch?"

"W-What? I don't watch dramas…with her…"

There was a short pause before Sayo excused herself, stomping towards the kitchen. Ako followed after her, cheeks puffed and mind buzzing. Sayo was a lot more transparent than she realized. Not particularly interested in getting engaged in a conversation about dramas, Yukina sat next to Rinko, glancing at the TV. Another man had joined the woman in her apartment. Were all dramas this intense? "Rinko," she greeted. "How are you today?"

Rinko's eyes widened, bewildered, as if she started speaking Spanish herself. They were still working on improving their one-on-one conversations, but it was a long process. "Minato-san. Good."

"Good." Yukina reached for her hair, glancing down at the table. Why didn't Lisa have a cat yet? Conversations were a lot easier when there was a cat. "Have you done anything fun lately?"

"…r-read some strategy guides. Me and Ako-chan went on a raid a couple of weeks ago, but, ahhh, our guild was underpowered. We have to compensate for our lack of members. There's also a lack of experienced tank players right now. There's a promising new tank player in our guild, Bunny-san. Ahhh, but she's very…distracted. She stops to fight everything…"

Yukina began nodding absentmindedly, losing herself in Rinko's technical talk. She was not very familiar with gaming. There was one time in elementary school where she had a virtual pet, but it didn't end well. Lisa had to hold her back from jumping off the bridge and saving Mr. Whiskers. Ever since that incident, she couldn't help but feel a little queasy when it came to video games. Rinko's knowledge, while incomprehensible, was vastly underrated.

Rinko was about to shift the topic to a different aspect of the guild when her voice faltered and trailed off. The other members of Roselia. Lisa's good arm was around Sayo's shoulders, and Sayo's face was still a slight red as she walked stiffly over to a chair. Were conversations about dramas always this intense? Ako followed them, a smirk on her face as she sat next to Yukina. Yukina thought at first to ask what was going on, but then Lisa sitting in her lap brought her back to the initial topic. "Did you order the pizza?" she finally asked.

"Yep! Even got some Coke if any of us need a little carbonation~" Lisa sang, dangling her feet over Ako's knees. "We should have some mats and extra blankets in the closet so everyone can sleep comfortably tonight, too. It's been so long since I've hosted a sleepover. Ladies, we should have a nice pampering session tonight!"

"We're not here for a casual party, you know!" Sayo snapped.

"This was short notice, though, Sayo-san…"

Lisa flinched as Sayo hopped out of her seat, ready to give the reprimand of her life, but Yukina stopped the irritated blue-haired girl with a stop motion of her hand. She rested her head on Lisa's chin, sighing. "Let's talk about what to do this week over dinner. Does everyone know their schedule?"

The other girls nodded. Yukina leaned back, shutting her eyes and letting silence overtake the group. Aside from Lisa, Roselia's members were pretty introverted and tended not to make a lot of conversation. Pulling on Lisa's hair, she winced. It was still damp. She wished she'd brought the cat cushion downstairs. It would've been a comforting item in this time of chaos.

Outside, the rain grew louder. Someone turned up the drama's volume to drown out the sound, but knowing the weather made Yukina uneasy regardless. Ever since she was a child, she never liked the rain much. Instinctively she wrapped her arms around Lisa's waist, digging her nails into her stomach. Lisa wasn't a cat nor was she a cat cushion, but she was the most convenient at the moment.

And at least she smelled nice…

Lisa shuffled in her lap. "Yukina, can you be any gentler?" she whined.

"This is your house. You can pick anywhere else to sit at any time."

No response except for the weight of Lisa's head shifting onto Yukina's shoulder. It couldn't be helped. She was better off settling in and getting comfortable than forcing Lisa to budge.

Since she didn't know Spanish, the drama's words became a blur to Yukina's ears. One word merged into two. Two words merged into five. Five words merged into several sentences, and those sentences merged into the atmosphere…

When she opened her eyes again, she realized a blanket was over her. Oh, so she had fallen asleep. Rainy days usually made her sleepier than usual. The blanket was warm and heavy, too, perfect for napping. If she had just a little restraint, she would poke her head underneath the covers and indulge in a longer nap.

No, she was the leader. She had to check on the others.

Rubbing her eyes she reassessed her surroundings. The television was off and she was the only one in the room, making her feel a sudden pang of loneliness. Gone was the ease she had at slumber. There was also a different scent in the room. Instead of smelling Lisa, she smelled something fishy and fried.

Ah, so the pizza had arrived.

She yawned and walked to the kitchen. The smell grew stronger and stronger until her nostrils were smothered in seafood mix. Inside, the girls were huddled around the table, waiting to be served by Rinko. Ako was the only one who was currently eating, a piece of pizza dangled over her mouth as she sat on top of the kitchen counter. Well, at least she had a plate on her lap.

Yukina shuffled in and stood next to Lisa, who smiled at her. "Did you have a nice nap?"

"Mm. Pizza just arrived?"

"Yep. We can plan out this week once everyone is served."

"Mm."

Leaning against the wall, she yawned again before taking a seat next to Sayo, who was the only one with a fork and knife. (As much as she wanted to follow in Sayo's footsteps, eating pizza with one's hands was substantially easier.) Lisa sat on the other side of her, awkwardly placing the plate on the table with one hand. Rinko and Ako joined last, pulling up a couple of chairs from the other room. Ako was admittedly cute with pizza stuffed in her cheeks, still chewing even as she brought her chair into the kitchen.

After giving thanks to their food, Yukina looked longingly at the pizza in front of her. She wanted to indulge in the food, having not eaten lunch earlier, but she knew that once she began eating, she would become distracted from other important matters. This was a night of two pieces, perhaps even three. Her stomach was a warrior, but it also had to be a disciplined warrior. Business first. "Everyone, phones out."

There was a short pause, followed by the shuffling of phones and purses. Ako even ran to the living room to fetch her phone from in-between the couch cushions. When everything was settled, the phones were positioned in a circle, turned on and showing everyone's schedule.

And only then did Yukina allow herself a small nibble of pizza. It was delicious.

There were a lot of activities. Even without their daily band practices, which would have to be drastically minimalized due to Lisa's injuries, Roselia's members' schedules were packed. There were clubs, committees, chores, study groups, gaming time…Sayo had one long row at the same time each day mysteriously blacked out, and Rinko's was occasionally boxed in with giant letters that said RAID. And there was also Lisa's job…

How could they fit everything in one day?

Ako leaned over the phones, pressing her hands over the table. "Hmmm, we're all pretty busy this week. It looks like the only one who can look after Lisa every day is Yukina-san."

Everyone looked at Yukina. She was mid-bite. Next to her Lisa waved her good hand in dismissal, sweatdropping. "Ahaha, I really don't need 24/7 watching. I'm capable of doing most things even with my arm like this."

Sayo pointed across Yukina's plate, narrowing her eyes. She hoped Sayo's elbow wouldn't get into the pizza. "Oh, no you don't," she growled. "We're watching you to speed up the recovery process as fast as possible, Imai-san. Without constant supervision you'd probably sit here all week just watching dramas after your duties."

"I…don't see the problem with that, Sayo-san?"

"No exercise!" Sayo exclaimed. "No practice! No self-discipline! When you come back to band practice, you'll forgot to play your own bass! Every time we fall behind lately is because _you_ half-ass whatever consequences are given to you!"

 _splap_

Yukina looked down at her pizza and frowned. An elbow-shaped dent was now imprinted in the middle of her slice. Sayo's…elbow was also still in the slice. "Sayo."

"Sorry. I'm sorry."

Sayo stood up abruptly and threw her napkin onto her plate, leaving the kitchen without another word. Yukina was about to go after her, but Lisa grabbed her arm, shaking her head. "Why don't we give her some time to cool off? I'm the one who inconvenienced you all."

Sighing, Yukina nodded. She looked at her plate and passed it over to Ako, who slid the rest of the half-eaten piece into mouth. The singer never did have much of an appetite when she felt tense or when there were arguments at the dinner table. Ako aside, the others felt the same way. Nobody could eat with the soured mood hanging over them all.

Soon they cleared the table, and Yukina awkwardly stood next to Lisa while the brunette scrubbed at the dishes with one arm. Rinko had wanted to help her, but Lisa gently pushed her into the living room, telling her and Ako to tell her any important details in whatever drama was on the TV at the moment. She'd be fine; it might've taken her a little longer to wash the dishes by herself, but she wanted something to do.

This left Yukina watching her, hugging herself while she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet. Her thoughts were racing, unsure of what to do next. She wanted to talk to Sayo, but she was afraid the guitarist would snap on her next. Somehow, someway, she blamed herself for Lisa's arm. Since she was both Roselia's leader and Lisa's friend, she should have been stricter on Lisa's activities. It was true that Lisa was sloppy and reckless and scatterbrained…often. One time she even had left her bass on the bus ride from work….or did that happen twice?

But Lisa was a hard worker and very kind. Surely that deserved minimal credit?

Suddenly the dish Lisa was washing was snatched out of her hands. Sayo leaned over to also take the sponge, trying her best to awkwardly smile. "Accidents….happen," she finally muttered. "If you break another bone, make sure it's not another arm."

Lisa smiled, taking a step back. "That shouldn't be a problem, Sayo-san."

Sayo nodded, turning to Yukina. "And Minato-san," she continued, frowning. "You can't blame yourself for this dummy's recklessness. Don't you dare think you can take care of Imai-san by yourself, either. You can barely do any housework. Imai-san's all of Roselia's problem."

"Y-yes…"

She didn't know who it was that laughed first, but soon the dishes stood in the sink while all three of them were sent into giggles. Sayo tried to hide her face with a dishtowel, but her body shook so hard that neither of them were fooled, although they were taken aback. The guitarist typically never showed positive emotions around anyone else. Nevertheless, she kept giggling so much that finally she had to excuse herself, warning the others that if they tried to finish the dishes, she'd make their next practice hell.

Yukina wouldn't have minded a difficult practice. On the other hand, she was afraid of breaking the dishes…

Perhaps she didn't think this idea of taking care of Lisa this week through enough…

* * *

"I don't mind sleeping downstairs."

"You're fine~ you're already laying down."

Yukina continued staring up at the ceiling, tracing the cat and pawprint stickers in the air with a finger. They were supposed to glow in the dark, and she was looking forward to seeing that in action. Next to her Lisa was unsuccessfully trying to brush her hair with her left hand, grumbling to herself. It was a lot more difficult when her hair was dry. "I guess taking care of myself is gonna be harder than I realized. It just _had_ to be the right arm," she murmured, sighing. "Maybe I could cover up my hair with a hat while my arm's broken. I can't go out with my hair all frazzled."

"Let me."

Lisa's eyes widened, but she handed Yukina her hairbrush and sat up straight, a light pink touching over her freckles. Yukina grabbed the brunette's hand with one hand and began brushing with the others, ignoring her sudden yelps of pain. Brushing someone else's hair felt relaxing…normal. Normally she would feel a lot more repulsed touching someone, but with Lisa it felt like an everyday motion.

Well, they _used_ to do this sort of things a lot more often when they were children. She had just distanced herself…

They stood silent for a few minutes while Yukina continued brushing Lisa's hair. During the process Lisa scooted herself closer and closer until her hair practically tickled Yukina's nose, and she had to stop herself from sneezing everywhere. But she didn't mind the closeness. It was a little more difficult brushing someone else's hair at this distance, yet there were less chances of pulling out clumps of hair. And Lisa's shampoo still smelled nice…

She wasn't _bothered_ by the closeness, but she _did_ feel her hands getting sweatier than usual…

Abruptly she tossed the brush onto the bed and laid back down, focusing on the ceiling cats. Lisa leaned over on her good arm and smiled. "Thanks for helping out, Yukina. I really do appreciate it."

"It's nothing. What would you do without us?"

"You're right. What would I do without you?"

Yukina blushed and promptly rolled to her side, silently turning off the lamp. Under the covers she could hear Lisa stifle her giggles, and she bit back every urge to kick her friend in the shins like she did when they were kids. _What would I do without you?_ What did that even insinuate? That the other Roselia members' were minimal compared to hers? Or…perhaps there was more reading between the lines than she realized?

Or maybe…Lisa was making fun of her?

Impossible. Lisa would never do that.

Still, though, she gave a swift kick to the ankles and pressed the cat cushion to her face, shutting her eyes. Maintaining friendships was hard.

* * *

 _I think I can fairly pace myself to have monthly updates (could be sooner but I have frequent bad mental health days, so I don't like being too committed). Hope you're enjoying the ride as much as I am, though. C:_


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 03 – You Attack My Heart_

It was the middle of the night. Yukina lay still on her back, blearily staring up at the glow-in-the-dark cat and pawprints. They radiated a soft glow up and down the ceiling. Slowly she became aware of Lisa frantically shaking her with her good arm. She still didn't bother to move, completely unfazed. "Hmm?" she hummed.

"Yukina, I think someone's trying to break into my house!" came the rushed whisper. "I've been hearing noises from downstairs for a while now and I can't fall back asleep. I'm about ready to go downstairs and check it out."

"It's probably just Ako."

"Ako-chan would be making a lot more noise if she were up. I'm worried. Could you follow me, just in case? Please?"

The blankets were so heavy and warm that Yukina didn't want to get up, but after a long hesitation, she sat up, resting her head on Lisa's shoulder. She gave the brunette a look, as if to say, _If it's not a cat, I'm gonna hog the entire bed when we get back upstairs._ The message was clear, and Lisa patted her head, touching the carpet with her feet. "Just let me see what I can use to defend ourselves. Hmmm…hmmm…oh, Yukina, you should probably find something, too."

While Lisa searched her room, foraging for possible defense weapons, Yukina grabbed her pillow and placed her chin on top of it. This would be more than enough to subdue whatever intruder that was in the house…unless it was a cat. If it was a cat, she was ready to keep it for as long as possible. She let too many strays get past her over the years. Everyone knew that a cat was better than any other defense mechanism in the world.

Finally they walked downstairs, with Lisa equipped with a badminton racket. Yukina closely followed her, holding her pillow at arm's length. As the shield it probably would've been better if she was in front, but she knew how much Lisa liked to swing when threatened. If anything, the pillow would be protecting her than defending any sort of intruder. She almost bumped right into its soft cushion as Lisa suddenly stopped, making a halting motion with her broken arm. "Oh, my God, Yukina," she whispered. "Someone's in the kitchen. All the lights are on."

"Maybe it's just Ako having a late-night snack?" Yukina weakly suggested, starting to feel anxiety well up in her stomach.

Both girls looked at each other, hoping that was the case. After a short pause, Lisa leaned by the doorway, holding her racket at-ready. Yukina scooted up close to her back, pressing the pillow between them. They stood in silence for what seemed like forever, their breaths becoming in-sync, waiting for the right time to go and strike. The possibility of the intruder being a cat was becoming slimmer and slimmer.  
Another look. They nodded at each other. It was now or never.

Rushing in the girls narrowly avoided being struck by a golf club. Yukina grabbed Lisa from behind, and the two slid to the floor just as Sayo struck the golf club into one of the kitchen drawers. There was visible damage, splinters flying everywhere. Lisa grabbed Yukina's knees, wide-eyed, as the club part was forced under her chin. "Sayo-san!" she cried, breathless. "What the heck?"

Immediately the weapon was withdrawn. Lisa let out a long shudder while Sayo turned a bright pink, sharply turning away. "I-I thought you were more intruders! Already got one that came in from back here…"

"Wait, what, there was an actual intruder?!"

Sayo wordlessly gestured to the kitchen table. A middle-aged man with graying black hair was tied up to a chair with dishtowels. He was trying to say something, wildly flailing his hands, but there was another dishtowel stuffed into his mouth. It looked like Sayo really did her homework with break-ins. Before she could do any more damage, Yukina quickly stood up and walked over to the prisoner, yanking the dishtowel out of his mouth. "Dad," she said simply, "what are you doing here?"

Yukina's relationship with her father was strange. Back when he was a singer, he reflected a lot of Yukina's mannerisms – quiet, professional, with a determination to achieve the means with whatever forces necessary. He was married to his music, often only coming home when Yukina was already sleeping or to get a quick change of clothes and a shower. Her mother, a traditional woman, often fought with him over this, and they came pretty close to a divorce.

Ever since his retirement, though….while Mr. Minato still looked "cool" to the masses, he became really in touch with his feelings.

"YUKINAAAAAAAA," he wailed, outstretching his arms. He looked so much different with tear streaks running down his face. "I'm so glad you're saaaafe!"

Yukina did not try coming closer to him. Lisa stood next to her, awkwardly smiling as she crossed her good arm over her bad one. "Mr. Minato, you gave us quite the scare," she said, chuckling nervously. "My parents are gone for the week, and no one ever tries to use the spare key at night. Our friend was in full defense mode, ahaha…"

Mr. Minato attempted to smile, but Sayo's angry stare stopped him in his tracks. Instead he also chuckled nervously, clapping his hands together. "I'm sorry, Lisa-chan. I just got a little worried since Yukina usually calls when she's staying somewhere overnight. The wife thought she might be here, but I…might've taken things a little too far." His eyes quickly darted to Sayo, then back again. "Oh, your arm…what happened?"  
"Ahaha, just a little mishap. Yukina and the others are gonna help me around the house this week. Why don't we get you untied?"

"Leave him."

"Huh? Yukina, that's your dad…"

"I know," Yukina replied bluntly. "He's not a cat."

"Yukinaaaa…"

After a minute or two more of wailing, Yukina finally relented and helped Sayo undo the knots. They were really tight. While Lisa and her dad started a light conversation about what happened to Lisa's arm, Yukina turned to the living room, where there was light snoring. "Ako and Rinko never even budged, did they?" she asked Sayo.

Sayo placed a hand on her hip, flashing a lopsided smile. "If we were as carefree as they were, we'd never get anything done."

* * *

"Hwaaa."

Yukina covered her mouth as Lisa rubbed her back, smiling. "Good thing we don't have school this week. You've been catnapping on and off all day. Are you sure you're ready to work?"

Yawning again, Yukina furrowed her eyebrows at her. "If I can take my dad breaking in, I can do anything."

She sat closer to Lisa, resting her head on her shoulder and resisting the urge to fall back asleep. Lisa's job was on the other side of town from where she lived, so they were taking a bus. Yukina didn't take public transportation often, usually walking or taking a car ride instead, so she usually didn't see the sights from the average, local point of view.

The first thing she noticed was that a lot of people owned _dogs_. She didn't pay too much to dogs – Sayo was the dog person in the band – but there were so many of them walking that she couldn't resist taking out her phone. At first she wasn't going to take any pictures. Then she saw a shiba inu with one of those curled tails, and her heart almost leapt out of her chest. _On the bus ready to work_ , she captioned the photo on her social media account. This took up the next ten minutes, including several more dogs and a few colorfully-dressed people, until her phone vibrated.

 _Why aren't you inviting me to see these dogs?_ Sayo commented under the first photo.

 _Your schedule's busy._

 _Text me where you are right now and I'll run there during my break._

Yukina sweatdropped, knowing full well that Sayo would attempt running across town just to admire a few cute dogs. Her thoughts were interrupted as Lisa pulled Yukina in her lap, holding her own phone close to them. "Hey, Yukina, why don't we take a selfie together? I'll put the cat filter over it after."

Immediately her worries over Sayo vanished. Yukina held out her arm and made a peace symbol as Lisa took a few selfies. They weren't as good or as active at their PR as Rinko and Ako, but Yukina liked to think that their quality was just as top-notch. She watched closely as Lisa opened up her filter app, carefully editing the photos so they looked cute while still authentic. "These are always so fun~ I usually don't get to do these with you. When was the last time we did this?"

"Christmas party. You got me after our official photoshoot."

"Oh, yeah…we should do this more often. It's always fun with you."

"Sure."

She didn't bother getting out of Lisa's lap. If Lisa could use her lap as a chair yesterday, she didn't mind using her as a chair today. Besides, the ride wasn't much longer. She'd enjoy her remaining time in Lisa's warmth, gazing out to the summer sidewalks and avoiding the judgmental gazes of the elders who stared at the two of them for more than a second.

When she got off the bus, a warm breeze greeted her. Oh, right. She almost forgot it was summer; not everything and everywhere was going to be air-conditioned. She stretched as she took in the building where she was going to be working at today. While it was after-school hours, people of all ages came to the small, brick building to buy snacks, medicine, and small, everyday household items. It was a fairly popular spot for locals, especially during the summer.  
They exchanged bows with the older workers whose shifts they were relieving as they stepped inside. Yukina helped Lisa tie an apron around her waist, then tied her own apron as Lisa gestured to the back. "Is Moca-san in the back?" she asked one of the women.

The woman nodded, handing her a set of keys before heading out. "Don't let her sleep too long," she said, winking.

Yukina was not well-acquainted with Moca. Roselia and Afterglow had had a few practices together, but both bands mostly kept to themselves, with only a few interactions between members. Not many people outside of Afterglow interacted with Moca, either, besides Lisa and Saaya of Poppin' Party. From what Yukina understood, she liked bread and taking a lot of naps. Sounded like a low-maintenance person, right?

"Boo."

She stumbled headfirst into a shelf. Moca wrapped her arms around Lisa's waist and pressed her head against her back, shutting her eyes. "Lisa-chii."

"Moca-chan. Come to save the day early in the shift?"

"Ye. Wanted to hassle the newbie, fufufu…"

Yukina's eyes widened and her cheeks flushed as Moca walked right up to under her chin and tugged on her cheeks, flashing a small smile. "Yuu-chan. Welcome to convenience store hell. Are you ready?"

"Ready?"

"Ready for hell. Join us, Yuu-chan. Join us."

Yukina tried squirming away as they backed into a wall. Lisa made a bonking motion with her fist in the air above Moca's head, pressing her lips together. "Moca, don't scare her. Don't read too deep into it, Yukina. Moca-chan's always playful around the store."

"Did you bring me candy?"

"Not for bad demons."

"Why would you do this to me, Lisa-chii?"

Moca let go of Yukina and latched back onto Lisa, who sweatdropped as she smiled awkwardly. There was a lot to take in, but the important thing she took in was that calling Moca playful was probably an understatement. As she watched the two drag around the store for a few more minutes, she couldn't help but feel that this was just another everyday routine at work.

Working at a convenience store was a lot less intimidating than Yukina thought. She was essentially taking over for Lisa's labor duty, helping out with whatever was difficult for Lisa to do. Like sweeping. She was pretty clumsy with household chores, but Lisa assured her that her work didn't have to be perfect, just passable. That was a terrible work ethic for Roselia, but since she was just a novice here, it would do.

There were other jobs besides sweeping. Like mopping. There weren't a lot of labor duties to do since stocking and inventory happened during the morning, so she settled with mopping up and down the aisles, cleaning them to the best of her ability. Soon everything smelled like fresh, clean detergent, reminding her of the rigorous cleaning routine her own mother had set in their house. It felt…familiar.

"Peep."

"Aaaaa!"

Yukina's foot fell straight into the bucket, soaking her shoe in swampy mop water. Behind her Moca wrapped her arms around her, squeezing her stomach. "So skinny. Where's the tum, Yuu-chan?"

"Tum? Aoba-san, shouldn't we be a bit more diligent?"

"No worries. Come, come."

Despite her objections Moca dragged them across the aisle, towards the beverages. She shivered as the temperature slightly dropped. "Aoba-san. We shouldn't be goofing off like this, should we?"

"No worries. Lisa-chii will tell us when she needs us on a second register. Yuu-chan, tell me about yourself."

Confused, Yukina stood silent at first, not sure what to say. But as Moca plopped down across from her, taking a Calpico from the fridge, she realized she was serious. The rumors of Afterglow's guitarist being on a different wavelength seemed to hold true. "I'm a second-year at Haneoka Girls' School. I'm also the lead singer of Roselia. In my spare time, I enjoy rock music and cats, and my father is trying to teach me how to drive, but at the moment it isn't going so well….Aoba-san, are you laughing?"

Moca shook her head, covering her chuckle with a hand. "So serious. You're just like Ran. You've been friends with Lisa-chii since childhood, right?"

Yukina's cheeks puffed at the mention of her rival, Ran, but she nodded. Moca took a sip of her drink, looking wise. "She tells me a lot about you, but even without that knowledge, I would know. I can smell friendship." To emphasize her point, she made a loud sniffing noise. "Sometimes it feels like me and Ran blend into the same person. Like a mecha. Do you ever feel the same way, Yuu-chan?"

Another nod.

"Do you think you're closer than us?"

"Huh?'

The silver-haired girl suddenly got on all fours, smirking as she licked her lips. "Lisa-chii's a dependable, pretty girl. It's amazing she isn't dating someone yet. Moca wonders, if she wasn't in a band, would she still be single- …oof."

"Yukina, Moca, can you open up another register? It's gonna be rush hour soon~"

Both girls laid on the floor, panting. Yukina kept her arms up in the air for what felt like the longest time, while Moca slowly sat up, dazed. Picking up her drink, she finished its contents and pulled Yukina to her feet, clicking her tongue. "Ow. Love hurts sometimes, Yuu-chan. Moca's getting too old for love…"

The cash register was a lot more maintenance the sweeping or mopping. There was greeting the customer, ringing up their items, bagging the items, taking their money and giving back change…if there was an older customer, usually one of them would offer to take any bags to their car as well. With only two or three people usually working the store at any given point, Yukina had to commend Lisa for working so hard.

Going between both registers, she helped with bagging items and carrying any of Lisa's customers' items. It was while she was carrying a milk container and a carton of eggs that she thought about her exchange with Moca again. _"Do you think you're closer than us?"_ Just what was she implying? Was she even implying anything? Yukina thought she knew everything important and unimportant there was to know about Lisa - her height and weight, blood type, band capabilities, favorite snacks. She knew Afterglow was made up of childhood best friends, but could they really be closer than two next-door neighbors?

"Miss, you can let go now."

Yukina almost dropped the milk as she bowed to her old lady customer and handed her the items. She lingered in the bowing position, drifting back to her thoughts. Who was she kidding? She was doubtful that she could really help out Lisa like this. Her methods were, at best, mediocre. It would be amazing if she actually helped out at all.

Sighing, she leaned against the door for a few more seconds. The old lady was probably one of the last customers for the night. Untying her apron she went inside, only to be hugged by her coworkers from both sides. Her stare was deadpan as Moca wrapped her arms around her neck. "Yuu-chan, you're home," she greeted, nuzzling her neck.

"You've really taken a liking to Yukina, haven't you, Moca-chan?" Lisa asked, smiling. Prying the girl off of Yukina, she held her by the waist and gestured to the aisles. "Yukina, we'll be closing in a couple of minutes. Thank you so much for the help today. We can get dinner on the way back."

"Moca wants to get dinner with you."

"Moca's just a walk away from her work. You can get dinner with us some other time."

"Boooo…I'll tell Ran to tell my parents that I'll be out sometime. You won't know when." Turning back to Yukina, Moca stared her down, the look in her green eyes vaguely sharp. "Yuu-chan. Don't forget about our conversation earlier, fufufu. From now on you're my number-one rival. Remember that. The Great Moca doesn't just let anyone become her rival."

Lisa tilted her head, confused. "Rival? Yukina, what is she talking about?"

Yukina kept silent, evening her gaze with Moca as she furrowed her eyebrows. Somehow she knew that this was going to be different from being rivals with Ran…

* * *

They stopped at a ramen shop on the bus ride home. Yukina savored the taste of pork and miso broth as her chopsticks went through the noodles. Next to her Lisa had scooted her stool close, sipping at a glass of water. Nearby, the sun was beginning to set, faint tinges of orange and purple spreading across the horizon. "When we started high school, I wouldn't be able to imagine us just enjoying dinner at night like this," she said, circling her index finger around the glass's rim. "So much had happened after we graduated middle school, and we were beginning to drift apart. Now look where we are. Moca's even declared herself your rival. That's not something you see every day from her, ahaha."

Yukina chewed on a piece of pork, thoughtful. "I'm still not sure what she meant by rival, but I won't lose. My reputation as Roselia's leader is at stake."

Lisa placed her head on her hand, leaning over with a raised eyebrow. "You sure are confident for someone who doesn't fully know what's going on."

"I have to protect you and the others."

"Ahaha…"

They sat in silence as Yukina finished her ramen, thanking the ramen shop's cook for her meal when she was done and paid. On the way back, they kept silent until Moca's words again echoed through her head. _"Do you think you're closer than us?"_

And that was what prompted her to reach out and grab Lisa's hand.

"Yukina?" Lisa mouthed, tilting her head to the side.

"I want to make sure both of us get home safely. It's starting to get dark."

She thought Lisa would just shrug it off, but in fact she did the opposite, hooking her good arm with Yukina's so they were literally walking arm-in-arm. Yukina was embarrassed enough to look away, wordlessly leading them back to Lisa's house. Along the way Lisa pulled out her earphones, and the two listened to rock music until they were steps away from Lisa's front door.

Suddenly the brunette pulled away, holding out her phone. "Oh, my God, Yukina. Look at the selfie of us that I posted on social media!"

Yukina leaned in closer to the screen, noticing the amount of likes on their selfie. The cat filter really boosted their attention. Being a serious, Gothic band, she wasn't sure if this was the kind of attention that Roselia needed…

But seeing Lisa's face smiling with joy, she decided she'd let the publicity pass. Also smiling, she swiped a like on the photo.


	4. Chapter 4

_Chap 04 – cat's in the cradle and it plays pokemon go_

It was early in the morning when Yukina blearily stared up at the ceiling, vaguely feeling confused. Usually she woke up regardless of school, but this felt earlier than her internal clock. Next to her Lisa was sprawled across the bed, one foot poking at Yukina's knees and her head burrowed under the covers. Beneath the covers light snoring could be heard. It was an indicative sign that it shouldn't have been time to wake up yet.

Then the scratching started.

She thought it was the wind at first. After all, the season was ripe for more thunderstorms. But she could hear no thunder this time, and the air looked still through the window. It was barely morning, too, from the looks of the light orange mixed with purple casting shadows into the room. But the scratching persisted. Could it have been an animal? Birds were known to wake up super early in the morning, although there were no trees between her and Lisa's houses. There was also the possibility that it was her father again. He was such a worrywart, despite what he claimed.

If it wasn't thunder, though, she didn't mind. Throwing the pillow over her face, she laid limply on her side and stared at the door. She attempted to shut her eyes, but the scratching became more frequent. It was like it was almost methodical. Every few seconds there were three scratches. No more, no less. There would always be a pause; then the scratching started up again.

It was enough to keep Yukina awake. Sighing, she grabbed her pillow and got out of bed, shuffling towards the door. There was no point in waking up Lisa. Whatever was the source of the scratching, she was confident enough to handle it. She approached the door cautiously, her father's break-in the night before still fresh in her mind, and opened up the door slowly.

At first there appeared to be nothing. Yukina stepped out of the room and saw nothing in her immediate sight. Then, as her eyes adjusted to the dark hallway, she noticed a shadow a few feet away from her. She lowered her pillow to her chest, staring deadpan at the shadow. "Rinko."

Even without any light, Yukina could tell that Rinko was blushing. The raven-haired girl was hunched over on her elbows, looking down at the floor. She sat in that position for a long time before looking up, her gray eyes partially hidden behind her bangs. "Minato-san."

"You're up early."

"So are you."

They stood like that in silence for several agonizing moments. Then, slowly Rinko's gaze went back to the floor. Before they devolved into an eternal standoff, Yukina crouched to Rinko's level and crawled to her, taking the keyboardist's face into her hands. "Bad. Good cats don't wake their owners up this early unless they sit on their faces."

She tugged on her cheeks until Rinko's eyes welled with tears. The pianist still hesitated, biting her lip for another second or two, before bowing her head to the ground. "I'm sorry, Minato-san," she apologized. "I wanted to knock earlier, but I…just couldn't bring myself to do it. The matter isn't _completely_ urgent, but…"

Yukina raised an eyebrow. "But?"

"I thought you would want to be one of the first to know."

"Hmm?"

"Um…it would be better if I just showed you first."

They went downstairs and outside to the space between Lisa's and Yukina's houses. Rinko hovered behind Yukina, lightly gripping her shoulders as she pointed to a small pile of cardboard and foliage. Beneath the pile there was a long, black and white cat laying on its side, nursing fluff piles – three black and white, two gray. Small mewling noises could be heard from the ground. Rinko loosened her grip as she heard sniffling noises from close to her. "Um, Minato-san? Are you crying?"

Yukina wiped a few tears from her eyes. "This might be one of the greatest days of my life," she said, sniffling.

Rinko lightly blushed, unsure what to do with this reaction. All she could do was massage Yukina's shoulders, hoping to comfort both of them. "What should we do?"

"Ask my father if we can keep them. Immediately."

She walked over to her house and grabbed one of the fake rocks, taking the key attached from its bottom. Rinko ran over to her, pointing to her house, then at Lisa's house. "Wait a minute, Minato-san," she started. "I-I-I know you don't know this, but I, um, woke you up pretty early. Your father-"

"Will be awake," Yukina finished. "He's a light sleeper."

Unlocking the door Yukina stepped inside, Rinko following after her. Compared to the homey décor that Lisa's house had, Yukina's house was much more elegant. Her mother prided herself on the house arrangements, from the gray, leather couch to the maroon, silk curtains. Although Yukina and her father were singers, they had both dabbled in instruments from a very young age. By the window was a beautiful grand piano, glossy and black and covered with a lacy, white sheet on its center.

Mr. Minato sat there playing, gray eyes deep in concentration as he hummed a slow, jazzy tune. It was always like this in recent years. No matter when Yukina woke up, she'd always find him playing piano first thing in the morning. She had to admit it was slightly amusing always seeing him with bedhair and an unshaven face, forgoing everything else to play piano first every morning. But it was also a constant reminder that he was still so dedicated to his music. It was a sign that passion could never truly be quelled.

She and Rinko silently watched him play until the end of the song. When he was finished, he stretched and relaxed his fingers against the keys, wiggling them several times. He was about to start another song but then noticed Yukina and Rinko and stood up, scratching the back of his head, smiling nervously. "Yukina. Rinko-chan," he greeted. "You two are up pretty early. Is there something wrong? Do I need to go over to Lisa-chan's house?"

Tears were already welling in his eyes. Embarrassed, Yukina patted his shoulder. "Lisa's house is fine, Dad," she assured. "Rinko and I found a mama cat and her kittens between our houses. Five kittens. It's law now that we have to adopt them. All of them."

Mr. Minato looked perplexed, giving her a blank stare. "What? Yukina, no, we've talked about this, honey. You can't just adopt every cat you see."

"They're in our space. It's my civic duty."

"Yukina, we cannot take care of six cats."

"Dad."

"No, I have to be strong about this. Your mom will get mad at me again."

"Papa."

The man's lips quivered. Yukina motioned for Rinko to go back to Lisa's house. This was going to take a while…

* * *

"You're awfully persistent, you know."

It was later that morning. Rinko stood at the counter chopping fruit while Yukina and Lisa drank coffee. On top of Yukina's head was one of the kittens. She paid no mind to it as she scooped another spoonful of sugar into her cup. "My parents strongly prefer me to find homes for most of them, but they'll come around eventually. I just have to work hard enough first. Oo, that's hot." She made a face, setting down her cup. "I'll be asking for Roselia's full assistance in my endeavors, although it'll be voluntary. But I'll ask you first. Would you like any of these adorable fluffballs in your household, Lisa?"

Lisa giggled, sticking out her tongue. "Weeeeell, I might be interested. Gotta get the OK from my parents first. But I'll give you my full support. Me and Rinko can go to town with you today and ask around."

"Thank you."

Rinko brought two plates to the table. "Here. I washed some melon for Imai-san and myself, and for you, Minato-san, some strawberries. A light, refreshing breakfast will energize you, and if you're still hungry after, I can peel some oranges for us."

Lisa picked up a piece of melon and smiled, twirling it around her fingers. "Thanks so much. Oh, Rinko, would you mind if we brought the kittens to your raid today? There might be someone interested in some of them."

Yukina put a strawberry in her mouth, instinctively reaching for the kitten on her head. She was going to resist her parents' condition at all costs. Rinko rubbed her arm, looking down at the floor. "Oh, yeah. Sure."

"Hmm? Is there something wrong?" Lisa asked.

"N-Not exactly…" Silence. Then the girl's stare drifted towards the window, clearly embarrassed. "I was actually thinking of not going. Ako-chan wasn't going to go today because she has to work on this community service project. The others are nice, but I'm just…not used to irl raids. Ako-chan usually does most of the talking whenever we go."

"Well, me and Yukina will be there. I'm sure we can play along as guests or something. What kind of campaign are you guys doing right now?"

"Oh…well, you see, this is our break day of the month from our usual irl campaigns. It's…it's really stupid…"

Yukina raised an eyebrow, strawberry leaves between her teeth. "It can't be that stupid, coming from you."

"Yukina!"

Rinko blushed. "Well…do you know what Pokemon is?"

Pokemon. That was a game that neither Yukina nor Lisa had talked about in a long time. They shared a long look, letting Rinko pace back and forth her anxieties. Pokemon was one of the few video games that Yukina was aware about or ever played. She and Lisa used to spend countless hours as kids playing the game, catching and battling their pokemon. With a smile Yukina remembered her mom constantly trying to pry her Nintendo DS out of her hands, but she could never separate the ten-year-old from her team made up entirely of Meowth. Lisa's team was cute, but it still could not beat her six lucky Meowth. Good times.

Sipping at her tea, she chuckled to herself. Lisa put her free hand on her shoulder as she looked at Rinko, softening her gaze. "We're well-acquainted with Pokemon. Is Meowth still around?"

The keyboardist stopped mid-pace, clearly surprised that Roselia's leader could be well-acquainted with anything related to gaming. Pulling out her phone, she quickly swiped an app – Pokemon Go. "Y-Yeah. Skitty, too."

"What's a Skitty?"

* * *

Yukina furrowed her eyebrows in frustration as she held her phone out in front of her with one hand. Video games were becoming more and more complicated. Rinko had traded her her first Skitty, an adorable pink fluff-ball, in Pokemon Go, but she was still confused as to how to catch other Skitty. Or Meowth, since the original feline pokemon still had a special place in her heart. There were so many wrong ways to swipe a poke ball.

With her free hand, she pulled the wagon full of kittens as the three girls walked. She wished she could hold all five kittens at once, but she was cursed with only two hands. While Rinko spouted out useful gaming tips, Lisa hummed one of Roselia's songs, leaning her head on Yukina's shoulder. "Who would've thought we would be playing pokemon outside while walking?" she asked, smiling. "This is so exciting! It's like we're in a future world~"

"The future's hard to learn," Yukina grumbled. Pokemon Go aside, the future in general kept getting more and more complicated every year. "I'm never gonna become the number one catmaster this way."

"Oh? You already have a goal with the game?" Lisa purred. Linking Yukina's phone arm with her broken one, she leaned in closer, looking closely at the singer's phone. "Just remember that we have to help Rinko and the others out first. We're challenging gyms for the yellow team, right?"

Rinko grunted affirmatively. "Right. Team Instinct. We'll have six people today, so everyone will be able to place one pokemon each in the gyms if we take it over. You and Minato-san will be underleveled, but that won't be a problem. The rest of us can make up for your shortcomings."

Lisa nodded, balling her free hand into a fist. "You sound a lot more excited now than you did earlier. I'm pretty pumped myself."

"It's because of the courage you and Minato-san are giving me. I…really appreciate it. Thank you."

Yukina and Lisa shared a smile when Rinko a smile, her cheeks blushing as she looked down and bashfully rubbed her arm. She was getting more and more comfortable around the band, and it warmed everyone's hearts when she was excited to share things besides music with them. Admittedly Yukina didn't know or understand a whole lot about social anxiety first, but over time she was growing knowledgeable of what Rinko needed. A superior performance was always needed, but she preferred if the keyboardist was enjoying herself as well.

Which is why she dropped everything to spread out her arms and block Kaoru Seta from tackling her.

" _I got to be the one the only one who can withstand the test 'n be the best n' I got to strive keep up the drive. Be a master~_ "

Hello Happy World's guitarist was fully garbed in a pokemon trainer outfit, her purple hair tied back and covered with a red cap. She looked like a much more menacing version of the anime pokemon trainer, Ash Something, as her arms were outstretched with red balls duct taped on both sides. "Beautiful kittens!" she called. "Are you ready to go on a world of adventure with~ a pokemon master? 3"

 _bap_

"What did we say about scaring off everyone, Kao-chan?"

"…oh, come on, Chisato, I told you not to call me that…"

All three of the Roselia girls gave deadpan stares as Kaoru suddenly looked meek before the short, prim bassist of Pastel Palettes, Chisato Shirasagi. The two began quietly bickering as two other girls came out of the apartment complex, Kanon and Misaki, also from Hello Happy World. When the couple saw Kaoru trying to pull off her romantic moves on Chisato and failing, Misaki quietly pulled Kanon over to the side, towards the others.

Yukina was not well-acquainted with anyone from Hello Happy World, and her relationship with Chisato was strained at best. Marina and the others at CIRCLE had been trying to get Roselia to collaborate with Hello Happy World and Pastel Palettes for some time now, but the reaction from Roselia had been lukewarm. The only ones willing to give it a chance so far were Lisa and Ako. Yukina knew she was being close-minded about this, but she could only take one step at a time. Interacting with either of the bands gave her anxiety.

A knot formed in her stomach. She hoped this wouldn't ruin Rinko's raid…

Everyone else kept silent, most of them in the group not used to socializing. It was Lisa who initiated things, waving her free hand. "Kanon-san, Misaki-san," she greeted. "How are things? Hope you don't mind a couple of extra guests today. Oh, and kittens. We brought kittens today if anyone's interested."

"I've claimed at least one of them, so choose carefully," Yukina added, defensive of her earlier headwarmer.

Turning to the wagon, Rinko bent over and picked up one of the gray kittens. The attention was refocused as the bickering stopped and Kaoru and Chisato joined the rest of the group. Kanon petted the top of the kitten's head with her finger, smiling, while Misaki took another cat into her arms. It mewed and placed its paws on her shoulder. "Imai-san, Minato-san. It's been a while," she greeted, slightly bowing her head. "They're cute. Where'd you find them?"

"Between our houses. Rinko and Yukina found them this morning."

"They're still on their mother's milk it looks like, but they should be weaned off in a week or two if anyone's interested," Rinko added.

"Oh, I wish I could have a kitty so badly," Kanon sighed, pointing to herself and Misaki. "We both live in apartments. And Chisato-chan already has a dog."

"And I'm! Slightly allergic to the little kittens, to my unfortunate dismay," Kaoru said, placing a finger under her nose. "For now I'll have to settle with the larger, beautiful kittens. I hope you don't mind that I've brought the fair maiden, Chisato-chan, along. For she is the enticing catnip that I cannot stop myself around. SHE IS THE LURE. That will help us be victorious in our gym battles."

Chisato smiled, placing her hands behind her back. "Just think of me as your cheerleader. Oh, Minato-san, if you'd like I can wheel the kittens around while you're playing."

"Oh…sure. Thank you."

Handing the wagon handle to the bassist, Yukina felt much more vulnerable to the group. She did the best action she thought was right for the situation, was raising both hands to Lisa and Rinko. "Let's show them that Roselia can hold our own in pokemon battling. Rinko, Lisa and I will be counting on your expertise."

"Right!"

Their pokemon journey began. The Hello Happy World girls led the way as Rinko gave Yukina and Lisa a short coaching session, pointing out pokemon to catch and pokestops to spin along the way. Yukina caught more Skitty and a Meowth, but she also was strongly encouraged to catch a Sandshrew as well. While he wasn't a cat, she still thought Mr. Sniffles was cute. Even with one arm, Lisa caught and worked on an Eevee and a female Nidoran, and Rinko kept on working on her Rhydon. So, they were the ground-type trainers, it seemed.

After an hour of intense training, they were ready. Yukina's hands were balled into fists as she faced their first gym, the gate to a community garden. On either side of her were Rinko and Lisa, the latter leaning on her shoulder. She took a step forward. "Are we ready?"

Both Roselia girls nodded. Kanon, Misaki, and Kaoru were also ready, phone pulled out and pointing in the same direction. While Chisato sat in the background, entertaining and enjoying the kittens, the other girls began taking down a Mystic gym. At first Yukina thought there wasn't much more to it, but she was quickly corrected as her Skitty fainted and had to be revived. Together with Rinko and Lisa, they struck out minimal damage compared to Kanon's Vaporeon, Misaki's Raticate, and Kaoru's Rapidash.

But in the end, all of their pokemon were in a brand-new gym, and Yukina wanted more of sweet victory.

By the third gym, she and Rinko were running ahead of everyone else, the former pulling her pianist's arm as they kept their phones out side by side. Misaki gave Lisa a wan smile, one she usually reserved for her other bandmates. "Are they usually this enthusiastic, Imai-san?"

"Ahaha, not usually. But it's nice to see the two of them bonding like this."

Chisato smiled. "Rinko-san seems to be coming out of her shell a lot lately, but it seems Yukina-san's warming up as well. Do you think you have anything to do with it, Lisa-chan?"

Yukina almost threw her phone across the road. She stopped abruptly and turned her head just a bit to hear. The brunette appeared slightly baffled, but after a few seconds, she shook her head, grinning. "Nah. Yukina's just been touch with herself a lot more. Sometimes I think it makes her too powerful."

"But it _is_ because of you."

The phone was thrown across the road. No one heard her besides Rinko and Kaoru, but it was enough to make Yukina slap her hands over her mouth, which everyone heard. Rinko placed a hand on her shoulder. "Minato-san, are you oka-"

" _Don't touch me._ "

As if burnt by a hot stove, Rinko withdrew her hand and opted to fetch her phone instead. Kaoru gently took Yukina's headwarming kitten into her arms and placed it into the singer's arms, making a large gesture in the air with her hands. "A kitten for a kitten. Walk with me, dearest Minato-san~"

"I don't know you."

"Indulge this stranger for a moment of your time."

Kaoru bowed, but the glint in her eyes was much more surprised. Taken aback, Yukina nodded and kept on walking, placing the kitten in her arms. It was so warm. Lisa and the others cautiously walked behind them as Kaoru walked closely next to her, staring up into the sky. "Chisato used to be the same way," she said quietly in a tone only they could hear.

"What?"

The guitarist looked at her. "When we were kids, we told each other everything. We were inseparable. But over time, she closed herself off from me and the rest of the world. The idol world is darker than upon first glance. It was only recently that I…I became her Kao-chan again, and she became my Chi-chan. Now we talk every day, even when we are away. Love can be fleeting, yet the best type of love holds together over time. Do you understand, Minato-san?"

"Not really."

"If Chisato and I can grow together, so can you and Imai-san. And that's your lovely prince's advice for the day."

Gently patting her back, Kaoru stood by as Rinko handed Yukina her phone. Yukina bowed and blushed. "I'm sorry."

"D-D-Don't worry about it…"

"No. I want to make it up to you. Dinner will be on me. Let's make this next victory count, Rinko."

Staring away from her, Rinko nodded. When the others finally reached them, Kaoru grabbed Chisato's free hand and kissed between her fingers. The bassist blushed and looked away but did not withdraw her hand as she gave a small smile. Kanon grabbed Misaki's hand and swung it back and forth, grinning. At first, Yukina thought nothing of it, but as Kaoru's words rolled over in her mind, her eyes widened and it took all of her effort not to flee with Rinko immediately.

 _oh my god i hope they don't make out in front of shirasagi-san's dog_

Within a few more minutes, they finally reached the last gym of the day. Taking a step back, Yukina placed an arm around the small of Lisa's back and held up her phone. "Lisa. Let me help you with this last battle," she said, pointing to her friend's phone. "I know you've been struggling with your broken arm."

Lisa's eyes widened. "I…don't wanna stop you and your fun. I'm trying my best, but I know you're more into it than I am."

"That's okay. As the leader of Roselia, I should carry my partners when they need help."

"Thank you. I believe in you."

Handing the singer her phone, Lisa balled her fists and made a victory pose. Yukina nodded and walked over to Rinko, who stood by the sign where the gym was located. Kanon and Misaki joined them next, and finally Kaoru was there, her hat pushed down further on her head. Standing around in a circle, the girls placed their hands and phones in the middle and cheered, ready to become the ultimate pokemon masters.

* * *

"Thank you for the meal."

One of the kittens pounced onto an unwrapped hamburger. Sayo would've said this was an abysmal copout at making dinner, but if she couldn't cook, Yukina would do the next best thing. Roselia had eaten at the local McWubbubs on several different occasions, and Kanon had assured them that the food was good, so Yukina went to the place where she worked and ordered twenty hamburgers, twenty French fries, and some milkshakes.

It was good to have leftovers as well.

Rinko nibbled at her burger, listening to her music as a way to decompress after the long day. Yukina grabbed her headwarmer, who she had officially named Phil of the Underworld Grotto, from her burger and tried to put him on her lap for the sixth or seventh time. Failing yet again Phil jumped from her lap and chased after his siblings. Lisa giggled as the mother can waddled between her legs. "What's Sayo-san gonna think when she finds all of these hamburgers in the fridge?" she asked teasingly.

Yukina raised an eyebrow. "Sayo's not going to find out. We're gonna finish them by tomorrow."

"What, all of them? That's a lot of meat and potatoes."

"Ako can help out. Rinko should be back in time for dinner tomorrow night as well."

"And the kittens?"

"Right now they're our responsibility. Phil's our child."

"And the others?"

"I'll convince my parents and Sayo. Your parents, too, if they want joint custody."

"Ahaha…"

Lisa took a bite out of her burger, and the three girls ate in silence for several long minutes. There was something weighing on everyone's minds, however, as Lisa finally broke the silence, frowning at Yukina. "Were you okay earlier, Yukina? I mean, your phone looks okay, but are you okay? I saw you and Kaoru-san talking after."

 _"But it_ is _because of you."_

 _"If Chisato and I can grow together, so can you and Imai-san."_

 _"Do you think you're closer than us?"_

Yukina pressed her fingers into her bun. All of these girls were really making her heart beat faster lately.

"Everything's fine." Pausing, she placed her hands on either side and squeezed both girls' hands. They gawked at her, confused, but she gave them an unsure smile. Things would work out in the end, wouldn't they? "Everything's…fine."

And she picked up Phil and kissed his head.


	5. Chapter 5

_Chap 05 – yankee doodle girls are not your prerogative_

Warm light poured into the bedroom, already bordering on afternoon. So far it had been a lazy day for Yukina and Lisa; they'd woken up and laid in bed for who knew how long, side by side. Resting against the pillows, Lisa leaned against Yukina's shoulder and scrolled on her phone, browsing through social media. Strands of brown hair tickled Yukina's nose, but she made no effort to move away, rather enjoying the feeling of her head pressed against her friend's. The social media browsing also wasn't bothering her too much. Just the quiet company was enough for her.

This week weighed on her mind more than most. Just a few months ago she was so guarded, even around Lisa. And now they were touching, head to head, and she was okay with it. What had happened to her? Sayo hadn't told her she was becoming too soft yet, but perhaps she was sparing her feelings. But as the leader of Roselia, she needed full-blown blunt honesty. If she needed to change something, she preferred to do it as soon as possible.

Pursing her lips she kept her head levelled as Lisa scrolled past a brown long-haired cat. This was no time for distractions. "Lisa. Have I been acting strange lately?"

Lisa looked up from her phone, thumb in mid-air. "Hmmm? I don't think so. Are you feeling ill?"

"No. I just wanted to see what kind of short-term improvements I could make in the immediate future."

"For the band?"

"For…for me."

There was an awkward pause. Lisa placed her phone in her lap and turned to Yukina, placing a hand under her chin. "Yukina, you're one of the most hardworking people I know. You've gotten so far by climbing your way up, ever since we were kids. I admire that so much about you." She sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind Yukina's ear. "But…"

Oh, no. The dreaded 'but'. "But?..."

"But it's rather nice seeing you relax more lately." Lisa leaned back against the pillows, placing her good arm behind her head. "I don't mean just you, either. It's just more noticeable with you and Sayo-san. The phenomenal work ethic of you two is what drives the band's pace. Of course, me and Rinko and Ako-chan work hard, too, but you two carry us from being just an average band to an exceptional band. With all that you do, it's amazing that you two get any rest at all. That's why it's nice seeing you take a break."

Yukina felt her shoulders tense. Roselia had admittedly been on the backburner lately. "We sometimes take naps after practice, though."

"Unintentionally."

"Unintentionally," Yukina agreed. "I don't know if we really needed a break, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt if we were a little more flexible with our schedule. Unexpected things like you breaking your arm happen all the time. I disagree with your opinion regarding work ethic, though. You and the others work just as hard as Sayo and me."

Lisa's eyes widened. "Y-You're just being modest."

"Your abilities might not be as natural, but I see how hard we all work, both in and out of the band. We work as one. None of us pick up each other's slack because all of us are constantly improving. We pick ourselves back up. That's why I can trust you."

"Yukina…"

The blankets became scrambled as Lisa wrapped her good arm around Yukina's waist, pulling her into her lap. Her broken arm jabbed against Yukina's chest as the two girls sat cheek to cheek, making the silver-haired girl turn a bright pink despite her neutral poker face. Burying her face against the blankets, Yukina wished her self-control hadn't drastically decreased as well. "This really isn't something to get worked up over. Kasumi talks about friends trusting each other all the time, doesn't she?"

"Well, yeah, but you really don't refer to us as friends that often, you know…"

She could hear the grin in Lisa's tone and, noticing her mistake of using the f-word, burrowed her head deeper into the covers. Not only was she becoming softer, she was casually mentioning the Popping Party singer now, possibly even as a friend. If she wasn't careful, she'd end up sharing sundaes with Kasumi without even realizing it. Shutting her eyes she leaned against Lisa's touch when she began petting her head. "You don't have to say it at all, though. I already know."

"Thanks. Can you pull up some cats?"

Lisa nodded. Yukina leaned back against her chest, lazily watching photos of cute cats scroll down the brunette's Instagram feed. Maybe one day she could get Phil and the other kittens as popular as one of them. If Roselia did a collaboration with them, it'd be great marketing for all of them. Sayo would probably be reluctant at first, and Rinko would probably feel anxious if it became extravagant, but she'd bring them around. Phil and Lisa would help her…

"Arise! For your demon princess has entered!"

The ceiling slowly came into Yukina's vision. She blinked once, twice, then shut her eyes again.

A few seconds later, a bunch of weight scurried on top of her. Lisa jerked the both of them into a sitting position, propping her good arm against the bed. "Ako-chan!" she scolded. "You could at least knock before sending off your demon spawn after us!"

Phil and the other kittens ran across Yukina's legs. Her eyes wandered to Ako, whose nightwear was a wolf onesie. Fitting. She raised an eyebrow at her junior, who smirked. "You were on your phone. And Yukina-san was asleep. It only suited me to gain an advantage like this."

"Well, it kinda worked," Lisa said, giggling, as she glanced at Yukina's hands brushing over the kittens' tails. "You're on helping duty with us today, right?"

Ako bowed, looking as serious as she could with her wolf hood covering half her face. "I am at your beck and call, Lisa nee-chan. I _have_ been quite useful in assisting my big sis with chores as well. Anything you need, I am of service."

That was how Yukina ended up standing side by side with Ako in the cramped laundry room, blankly staring at Lisa's pile of dirty laundry. Usually the bassist kept on top of cleaning things, but judging from the pile, it looked like she had slacked off for a while. A faint odor came from the pile as Yukina picked up a frilly, pink and white camisole and dangled it over the washing machine. No sweat stains or visible dirt or anything, just the same faint odor. Lisa probably wore this to bed.

 _Lisa probably wore this to bed…_

Her heart skipping a beat or several, Yukina dropped the camisole into the washing machine.

Ako hummed a vague tune as she began sorting the pile into two, lights from darks. "You and Lisa nee-chan are so close," she said, smiling. "I hope I can be like that with someone someday. Well, me and Rinrin are close, but it's not like ~that~."

Yukina raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you and Udagawa-san like that?"

"We're sisters. It doesn't count like that."

"You're sisters and you live in the same house. How does it not count like that?"

"Because it doesn't count _~like that~_."

Placing her hands between Yukina's cheeks, Ako also brushed between them a piece of pink and white fabric. After a few seconds, Yukina's face flushed a bright red as she realize two things. First, Ako was implying wanting something completely different from a sisterly relationship. And second, the piece of fabric that Ako was holding wasn't just a pair of underwear, it was a pair of _Lisa's dirty underwear_.

" _Don't touch her underwear with your bare hands!_ "

 _Fwap!_

Yukina panted as she stood shaking over the washing machine, locks of her hair dangling over the entrance. The underwear was safely thrown into the machine. She flinched as Ako rubbed her back, trying to console her. "Sorry. Do you think you can finish sorting out this laundry by yourself, Yukina-san? I can give you some space while I help Lisa nee-chan with something else."

A nod. Ako shuffled out of the laundry room, leaving Yukina stiff by the machine. It took her a few minutes to catch her breath and get back to work. Absentmindedly, she finished Ako's job of sorting the lights from the darks, thinking about everything from the last few days. What kind of relationship did she and Lisa even have? She knew it wasn't like Sayo's bond with Hina. Although they were the most distant pair of twins, she was convinced they had a form of communicating that went way beyond that of spoken or written words. More than once Hina had stopped by their studio space, supplying Sayo with exactly what she needed.

So, it wasn't like Ako's relationship with Tomoe, either. She focused on Ako as she placed the rest of the laundry into the washer, followed by the detergent. Ako was at a very impressionable age. Her role model was her older sister, who, although rather reserved, was actually very popular among her class at their school. Yukina didn't have a chance to talk to Tomoe that often, but she was under the impression that Afterglow's drummer also had an awkward time around the ladies as well.

Did she even know anybody with a relationship that was similar? She poured another helping of detergent into the washer and shut the door, thinking. Based on Ako's tone of voice, her relationship with Lisa was _like that_ , but they weren't even girlfriends. Lisa was her best friend, bandmate, and closest confidant. They shared school, houses, clothes…the bed. Liking Lisa was an understatement. She trusted Lisa with all of her heart, as sentimental as that sounded. But did she like Lisa _like that_?

She could feel her heart practically pound out of her chest.

Her feet felt wet. She looked down at her soaked socks, then up. The washing machine shuddered, leaking soapy water everywhere. She took a step back, eyes widening, then fled out of the laundry room, shouting, "Lisa. _Lisa_!"

* * *

"Are you sure you wanna go with us, Yukina? You can stay back and rest, you know."

Yukina almost jumped at Lisa's touch. She kept a straight face as she hung up the last of the wet clothing onto the clothesline. "This is a terrible idea. I don't want you and Ako to be left alone when you two get in trouble."

"Ahaha. Well, I think Rinko will be joining us when we get there."

"That doesn't make me feel much better…"

It was out of morbid curiosity that Yukina rode the bus with Lisa and Ako, leaning her head against the former's shoulder as she sat and pondered over the possibilities as they traveled to their destination. Hanasakigawa Girls' High School was a school for the more skills-oriented and budget-oriented mind. A lot of the girls who went there also busied themselves with a combination of after-school activities and part-time jobs. Yukina had also heard from Kasumi that many of the girls intermingled, helping each other with their activities and often spending the nights at each other's houses. It was a considerably different school culture compared to Haneoka.

She was also aware that two of her bandmates went to Hanasakigawa.

When the three girls stepped off the bus, they were greeted with a warm breeze. It felt like it was going to rain again. Since it was after normal after-school activity hours, Hanasakigawa was much quieter in comparison to its usual hustle and bustle earlier in the day. As they drew close to the bike racks, Yukina noticed that there were only a few bikes left standing by, one of which was a familiar sleek, black one with a Hello Kitty helmet precariously placed by its handles.

Yukina couldn't help but squint as they stepped inside the school.

When they stepped into the locker area, two girls were waiting for them. There was Rinko, looking nervous as always as she swung her legs back and forth while sitting on a bench, and there Eve Wakamiya, keyboardist for Pastel Palettes. That's right. She did go to this school, too. Ako greeted them both with a tight hug, finally settling on loosely hanging her arms around Rinko's neck. "My lovely demon ladies~ are you ready for this high-stakes quest from hell that I've gathered up for us today?" she chirped, rubbing her cheek against Rinko's.

Rinko was much less enthusiastic. "This is a really bad idea, Ako-chan. I think we're really invading Hikawa-san's privacy by doing this."

Yukina wanted to agree, but that small twang of curiosity still nagged at the back of her brain. After this week she really needed to go back to her roots and train herself in some harsh self-discipline again. Ako made a face as she sighed dramatically, making a big gesture with her hands. "We've been over this already, Rinrin. It's not like Hikawa-san ever _asked_ for us to stay away from whatever she does. Besides, it's good training for you, Eve-san, right?"

Eve nodded. "Right! The art of disguise and stealth are related to the ninja skills of bushido!"

There were stars in Ako's and Eve's eyes. Rinko looked at Yukina, as if to say something in objection, but Yukina was still hesitant on saying anything. After a second they both looked at Lisa, who couldn't help but sweatdrop. "Well, I don't think it'll hurt anyone if we're not caught…what's the plan?"

Ako squeezed Rinko's shoulders and jumped up, grinning. Eve opened up her locker to reveal a half-zipped duffel bag. "I have a spare uniform for Lisa-san and Aya-chan's uniform for Yukina-san to borrow. I also have some wigs, makeup, and accessories if anyone would like to use them. Yukina-san, if I may be so bold as to ask to assist in your transformation?"

Yukina blinked. "Wait, why me?"

"You're so pretty! It's amazing you haven't had any suitors yet."

"Um…thank you, Wakamiya-san. You may."

She could feel Lisa's eyes linger on her as she was ushered into the bathroom. She didn't know Eve that well, but luckily the girl was a good distraction, prattling on about her bushido code. For a foreign-born, she knew more about old Japanese practices more than most Japanese youth. Yukina let her face be rubbed with a pale shade of foundation and blush while she thought about other things, like suitors. Wasn't it good that she didn't have any suitors? After all, not only was she in a band but also in high school. Having people try to court her would definitely be a distraction. Besides, she had Lisa.

 _She had Lisa…_

"Oh, my, Yukina-san. Your cheeks are so rosy," Eve said, tilting her head. "Have you ever considered doing some modeling?"

When they were done, her real face was hidden behind a pair of thin, silver-rimmed glasses and a curly, black wig tied up in a ponytail. Eve looked hardly recognizable with her long, white hair out of their signature braids. She took Yukina's hands into her own and squeezed them, smiling. "Wonderful. Now that the practice phase is finished, we can move onto application."

In the locker area, everyone else was already changed. Ako and Rinko looked as normal as they ever did, in matching brown bun wigs and large, black-rimmed glasses. Lisa, on the other hand, looked as if she belonged on ad different planet. Bright orange hair, tied beneath a thick black bandana, bright purple lipstick. Her broken arm was draped by a bright red jacket, which was littered with white kanji that all had to do with words of power. This was enough to snap Yukina out of her curiosity as she pointed to Lisa's high-platform boots. "Why is Lisa dressed like a Yankee?" she demanded.

Ako laughed nervously, placing a hand behind her head. "Well, it's a bit harder to conceal a broken arm. It's so extreme no one would recognize her!"

Lisa grinned, making a peace sign. "Yo~"

Yukina had the strongest urge to tackle Ako into the lockers, but before she could act upon it, Eve squeezed her from behind, pulling her back. She wiggled in the keyboardist's grasp, keeping one eye open as Lisa brushed a hand over her shoulder. "You don't like the new look, baby? I think you look quite cute."

"Don't."

There was an awkward silence. Yukina hugged herself and quickly stepped into the hallway, holding her breath. This was no time in getting flustered over such trivial things. Lisa would be the same no matter what. Even so, she averted eye contact from her friend as the others stepped into the hallway. Ako pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, pointing ahead. "Our mission starts now. Does anyone have any ideas on where we should start looking?"

Rinko raised a hand. "Um, Ako-chan? What if Hikawa-san isn't here?"

"Unlikely. You should know better than anyone else that Sayo-san spends most of her free time outside of Roselia at school. Student council's serious biz."

Eve shook her head. "If she were doing student council business, Hikawa-san would most likely be either with Rinko-san or Arisa-san, but Rinko-san's here with us and Arisa-san's been going home early lately."

"We finished up the quarterly budget just a couple of weeks ago, so student council activities have been quiet lately," Rinko agreed.

"What about archery club?" Yukina suggested.

Lisa pursed her lips. "Hmmm, probably not. Hina-chan's usually on top of things and tells us her schedule on that, but she doesn't even know what her sister's been doing lately. By the way, Wakamiya-san, it'd probably be best if you don't tell Hina-chan your findings. Sayo-san would not be happy with us."

"Of course, Imai-san."

Ako pointed forward again. "Well, not knowing is half the adventure. Let's go, my lovely ladies~"

They decided to explore outside first. Although it was unlikely that Sayo would be doing some archery practice, they decided to check anyway. Yukina kept a constant hand on her glasses frames, fidgeting with them. She felt hotter from the thick wig and Aya's uniform felt considerably tighter on her, and she felt constantly anxious that they would get caught. It was unlikely that any lingering students would notice or care, but infiltrating a school to spy on her bandmate? Wasn't the best feeling in the world.

Her heart almost plummeted to her stomach as she saw Hello, Happy World's bassist, Hagumi, at baseball practice. The baseball field was not far from the archery practice area, and once they finished inspecting the latter with no results, they almost bumped directly into the entire baseball team. Of course Hagumi would be attracted to Lisa's bold look, and she ran right up to them, almost tripping over herself. "Hey! Nee-san, are you part of that new motorcycle gang that's been popping up a couple of towns over?"

Lisa's eyes widened for a second, but she kept her cool, crossing her arms. "I might. What's it to ya?"

Hagumi did a small dance. "Whoa, so cool! I've never met someone like you before! What are you doin' in school, nee-san?"

Yukina muttered Lisa's name under her breath, but the brunette made no motion to acknowledge her. "My ma threatened me. Didn't have anything better to do today, so I decided to just go along with it. Picked up these pretty nerds along the way. You wanna join our little entourage?"

" _Hey_."

"Ah, man, I wanna so bad but I gotta do my cooldown," Hagumi said, groaning. "Maybe next time, okay? Have fun, nee-san!"

She ran off. As soon as they were back in the building, Yukina slammed the door behind them, startling everyone. Ako threw herself in front of her as she tried to make a direct beeline for Lisa. "Why are you trying to draw attention to yourself?" she hissed. "Kitazawa-san is just as big of a blabbermouth as Hina! If she had any inkling of a brain cell, we would-"

"Whoa, whoa. Yukina. I was just trying to play the part," Lisa said, eyes widening. "It'd be more suspicious if I didn't look like a Yankee."

"Well, if you hadn't decided to look like a Yankee in the first place…"

"Ako-chan thought it would liven things up."

"Then she should've dressed everyone as Yankees. Or leave me out of this altogether."

"Then you shouldn't have come, Yukina!"

Ako felt heavy against her as she lurched forward, grabbing Lisa by the shirt collar. Her cheeks felt hot, surprising herself as she slapped her friend across the face. The sound echoed throughout the hallway, followed by a morbid silence. Finally, she backed away from Ako and ran past them, ignoring the calls of her name. She could be invested in satisfying her curiosity without them. Let them get into trouble without her.

She checked the classrooms on the next floor. The floor was so quiet, almost as if no one ever went to class there. Chairs were placed on top of desks, chalkboards were wiped, and lights were turned off. There shouldn't have been a reason for Sayo to stick around a classroom other than for clean-up duty, but even then she wouldn't have been cleaning up every day. By the time she reached the stairs again, tears had run down her face and her patience was close to lost.

She kept going. Why did she overreact? Why did she feel so differently lately? This was anger. It swelled up and settled in her chest. And there was fear. She never got that upset with someone, least of all with Lisa. They were having fun and she ruined it. Wasn't having fun more important than getting caught? With Roselia everything had to be perfect, but here they were just high schoolers. Things could be fun, right?

Stopping, Yukina wiped her nose with the back of her sleep, praying she'd be able to do laundry before giving the uniform back to Aya. At this point all she wanted to do was go back to her own home and forget this week happened. It was such a small thing to get worked up over, but she also felt so small at the moment, as small as Phil or one of the other kittens.

"Yukina?"

She flinched as someone put a hand over her shoulder, followed by something warm. Lisa's jacket. Trying to regain her composure, Yukina looked ahead, forcing a frown. "Did you find her yet?"

Lisa shook her head. "No. I went a little ahead of them. There's not many places to look at this point other than the roof."

"I came to the same conclusion."

Yukina took two steps forward; Lisa grabbed her wrist. "Yukina."

"Now you decide to be out-of-character, I see."

There was a slight rustling. The orange wig was thrown by Yukina's feet. Lisa had her free arm on her hip, and she gave her an annoyed look. "Come on, Yukina. You know we're just trying to have fun."

"Well, you know I'm not good at this sort of thing. Count me out of it."

"Then why did you come?"

"To keep you out of trouble."

"You think I can't keep out of trouble on my own? Or you think I'm helpless at everything with just one good arm? Because that's how you've been treating me all week, Yukina!"

Tears welling in her eyes again, Yukina said nothing, continuing to walk up the stairs. Lisa followed her, and the two girls kept in silence. Along the way she burrowed her face into the jacket. It smelled just enough like Lisa without making her angry that Lisa was beside her. Doing another round of laundry would definitely be necessary after this.

Just before they reached the roof, the audible strum of a guitar could be heard. She and Lisa shared a look. Then, breathlessly, Yukina turned the doorknob just enough for the door to be opened up a crack.

Sayo was there, but she wasn't the one playing guitar. She looked so cozy, so otherworldly as her slim figure was curled up against that of Tae Hanazono's. Tae kept her guitar balanced on both of them as she played a rock tune, hard and fast. It was a sound different from Poppin' Party's usual style. It was well-known that Tae had done a lot of session work prior to joining her current band. They both looked like they enjoyed the music as they were so close to each other in matching bunny t-shirts.

Envy was added to Yukina's mixed emotions.

She felt the pressure on her as the others joined, leaning on her and Lisa's shoulders. Ako pressed on them the most, her eyes wide and her mouth agape "Have they always been like this?" she asked in a whisper. "Rinrin, Eve-san, did you know about this?"

Rinko shook her head. Eve appeared in thorough concentration, her face scrunched up as if she knew something. Then a second later, her face relaxed and she smiled in utter confusion. "I had no idea."

They all bunched up closer together, pressing their ears against the door. Sayo's low voice rang through the silence when the music stopped. "I won't be able to make it tomorrow. I'm on duty with Minato-san and Imai-san."

"Oh?" Tae. "Take them with you."

"Heh. I am not."

"The more, the merrier."

"What if I don't want to share you?"

"I'll have my kids take care of them."

Someone laughed. While they all looked at each other, Yukina felt her arms wobble from the weight of it all. Sayo never sounded like that, so carefree and happy. Even when Roselia shared their happiest moments, in or out of work, the guitarist usually kept her emotions hidden under a big barrier. It was only very recently that she even opened up around them this much.

Tae leaned for a kiss. Sayo leaned up just enough to touch her lips.

Yukina's arms gave out as the door opened.


	6. Chapter 6

_Chap 06 – ohana means family and family means eating your friends' abysmal concoctions_

If Yukina could burrow herself deep into this jacket and forget everything that happened today, she'd never ask for anything else again. Actually, if she could just forget her existence and live the rest of her life singing at dive bars, that'd be a much more appropriate fit to her end. She'd never felt more anxious to talk to anyone or look anyone in the eye; today was a harsh reminder of how quickly she could regress with the slightest falter in strength.

Sitting between Ako and Rinko, she reflexively tapped at her phone. 12% battery. It wasn't enough to dodge everything and everyone until they got home. All she could do was look down at her lap, fiddling dumbly with her fake glasses until their order arrived. If she dared to look anywhere else, her eyes would meet with Lisa's, and that would make even breathing unbearable. Being best friends for years, they had had their share of fights over the years, but usually she could detach herself from those distressing emotions. None of the previous fights had made her feel like she was being stabbed by a thousand needles all over.

 _"Because that's how you've been treating me all week, Yukina!"_

Yukina swallowed a hard lump. Perhaps it was better to focus on others' emotions. Sitting on one side of Lisa, Sayo was also fairly upset at the moment. Her displeasure was justified. The group had spied on her during her very free, very private time and intruded on her very free, very private relationship with Poppin' Party's guitarist, Tae. After they had burst onto the school roof, blowing their disguises, it was amazing that Sayo hadn't quit Roselia altogether. By far she was the one who took professionalism the most seriously.

It was hard to take her seriously, however, when she and Tae wore very cute matching bunny t-shirts…

The tension was thick as Aya brought them their order, one large bag of French fries for the seven of them to share and several milkshakes. Pastel Palette's vocalist was always frazzled whenever Yukina encountered her, but she knew between the group's combination, the silence, and their half-discarded disguises, the situation obviously didn't look too good from a bystander's viewpoint, either. Passing the milkshakes to Rinko, Ako, Tae, and Eve, Aya could only flash a nervous smile to her bandmate. "Up to your shenanigans again, Eve-chan?" she dared to ask.

Silence. Then Eve ran her fingers through her long, thick hair, chuckling nervously. "You can say that. We're refueling for another day of bushido."

Fries already halfway to her mouth, Tae's big, green eyes innocently stared Aya down, causing the pink-haired girl to almost drop the tray. "Maruyama. Do you know how much bushido is packed into each serving of fries?"

Aya pointed to herself, obviously confused. "W-Wouldn't Eve-chan know better?"

"Eve doesn't work here."

"Ah."

Staring into space as if she was actually calculating bushido in her head, one could imagine steam slowly leaking out of Aya's ears as her concentration dove deeper and deeper. Sweatdrops formed around the table until finally Lisa waved her free hand, smiling. "Don't worry about it, Aya-chan. I'm sure Tae-chan was just kidding."

Her smile faded as soon as Aya left, back to silent contemplation. Ako and Rinko tried to talk to both of them, but they were left with one-word answers. Tae seemed to be the only one enamored with the fries, happily dipping one into her milkshake. Placing it between her teeth, she scooted closer to Sayo and leaned forward. "Sayo~ wanna try?"

Sayo looked like she actually was going to accept her offer, leaning forward until she realized where she actually was. Then she pulled herself back to her straight position and turned away, quickly plucking the fry out of Tae's mouth with her forefinger and thumb. Yukina had a feeling they came here fairly often. "Show some decorum, Hanazono-san. We're in public," Sayo reprimanded, already reaching for another fry.

"Tasted good, didn't it?"

"I'm not going to confirm or deny that. Move your milkshake closer, please."

Tae did as she was told, smirking. While Sayo and the others dug into the fries, Yukina kept her hands in her lap and her eyes focused on her hands. She didn't have much of an appetite. She didn't want to think. All she wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep the night away, dreading to wake up to tomorrow's consequences.

Everything felt like a blur after that. On the way home Ako and Rinko tried to converse with her, but it was of no use. She kept silent until the group dwindled down to the three of them and Lisa and they were at Lisa's house, to which she quietly stuck her thumb out forward towards her house. "I'm gonna go home. Good night."

If any of them wished her good night back, she did not hear it. As she stepped into her own house, she slipped off her shoes and took off the wig, letting her messy silver hair loose. It was getting close to bedtime for her parents, but Yukina's mother was still up, sitting on the couch. Her eyes looked up with mild surprise as Yukina headed upstairs. "Yukina? I thought you were staying at Lisa-chan's for the week. Is everything okay?"

"Fine."

Yukina went straight to her bed and buried her face into the pillows. After all this time, she realized she still had on Lisa's Yankee jacket that was a part of her disguise. She should've shrugged it off; instead, she held it closer to her, forgoing the blanket. It was starting to lose Lisa's scent, but it was still comforting to have as she drifted off into a restless sleep.

When she woke up in the morning, she realized something was off. There was a weight on her legs and she could hardly move. Stirring, she stretched her legs as best as she could and rubbed her eyes, half-opening them. The sun was bright today. "Mm…Lis?..."

"Try again."

Golden eyes awoke to Tae Hanazono sitting on her. Yukina didn't make any noise, merely moving the girl away with one forceful kick. She sat up, looking very annoyed as she placed the jacket next to her. "What are you doing in my room, Hanazono-san?" she asked.

Tae yawned. It didn't look like she was a morning person. "Sayo's downstairs. She was going to have your dad wake you up, but I volunteered instead. Good peer to peer interactions can make a good start of the day. I think your mom might be making coffee. Do you think she'd offer any snacks if I asked?"

"No."

She probably would, but Yukina felt too grumpy to be a proper host. Yawning, she got out of bed and began freshening up for the day, allowing Tae to lay on her bed and scroll through….whatever she was scrolling through on her phone. She didn't know Tae very well. They were in different bands and went to different schools. Her personal interactions with Poppin' Party were also pretty minimal, other than with Kasumi, who insisted on being everyone's friend.

As she brushed her teeth in the bathroom, she thought about what Kasumi said and what she already knew about the other Poppin' Party members. Saya was pretty level-headed and helped with her parents' bakery. Arisa was pretty reserved and was on her school's student council with Sayo. Rimi was quiet and her sister was the lead vocalist of Glitter Green. And Tae had rabbits.

Yukina slowed her pace. Sayo was very rigid, and she didn't seem to be much of a dating person. How did she and Tae get so close?

Her cheeks burned. Spitting out her toothpaste into the sink, she shut off the faucet and wiped her mouth with a napkin. Tae kept her focus on her phone as Yukina got dressed and brushed her hair, only getting up once the singer was about to head out of her room. At least she didn't feel like she had to entertain her intruder in her own home.

When they went downstairs, Yukina noticed Sayo talking to her father. Judging from the guitarist's relaxed shoulders and small smile, they were talking about music, no doubt. Well, her dad _did_ have vast knowledge over music, and plenty of stories from his time as a performer. Her mom peeped out from the kitchen, coffee in hand. "Good morning, Yukina," she greeted.

"Morning, Mom."

"I made some extra coffee. Would Sayo-chan or Tae-chan like to stay a while and have some snacks?"

Before Tae could raise her hand, Yukina shook her head. "We'll be leaving in a bit."

"Do you want me to pack any snacks? You might want to share them with Lisa-chan later."

"No, that's fine. I'm off."

She slipped out the front door, Tae still on her tail. The early morning sun was bright, forcing her to squint while her eyes adjusted. After a few moments, Sayo joined them, the traces of a smile still on her face. She let out a small sigh, recomposing herself to her usual serious self. Usually Yukina appreciated a like-minded partner, but in this case she felt slightly uncomfortable, not able to meet Sayo's gaze today. "Good morning, Sayo," she greeted.

"Good morning, Minato-san."

They stood awkwardly in silence for a while, neither making the move towards Lisa's house. It was obvious that Sayo didn't know how to approach this situation, either; they were perhaps too like-minded. Yukina expected Tae to wrap an arm around Sayo's shoulders, but she didn't expect her to wrap her other arm around _her_ shoulders as well, bringing them a step closer together. It suddenly felt as if _they_ were the ones to have had fought instead. "What are the plans today, captains?" Tae asked.

Sayo looked away, blushing. Yukina looked down, honestly unsure of how to answer. All she knew was facing Lisa was at the bottom of her priority list. "I should see if Marina-san has any space open in the studio today," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "I haven't been able to practice in a few days."

It was a good enough excuse, but not good enough for Sayo. Pushing Tae away slightly, she crossed her arms, judgment written all over her face. "You made a commitment to help Imai-san this week, and today I'll be assisting you with that commitment," she said matter-of-factly. Then, with a small sigh, her eyes softened and she jerked her head in Tae's direction. "Hanazono-san offered to assist us as well. I think between the three of us, we should make Imai-san's day easier, shouldn't we?"

On the contrary, Yukina felt like dead weight, but she didn't want to make Sayo upset again, so she merely nodded. Tae looked determined, balling her fists as she rested her head on Sayo's shoulder. "That's the spirit. May I suggest for us to go skydiving? I heard it's a pastime that builds trust among friends."

"Absolutely not. I think we need something less adrenaline-intensive today…"

When they went inside, it was uncharacteristically quiet. Usually Lisa or her parents would loudly greet them or the TV would be blasting on a high volume. Today there was no one to greet them except Phil and another one of the kittens. Yukina's headwarmer pounced on her leg, mewling for either attention or food. Lisa was nowhere in sight, probably in her room. Quietly, she picked up both kittens and pressed them against her cheeks, comforted by their softness.

It was going to be a long day.

They started off with studying. There was homework due after break ended and tests to be studied for, so the three of them sat around the kitchen table, studying various subjects. Since Yukina went to a different school, her homework was different from the others, so she was on her own while Sayo and Tae collaborated on their work. It was for the best, since she was so distracted. Every so often she caught herself staring out the window or petting Phil with her writing hand instead of actually writing. Sometimes petting a cat was the only thing that mattered.

Her mood only grew more irritable as the day went on. More often than staring at the window, Yukina caught herself staring at the guitarist couple. Relationships didn't used to bother her; Ako and Rinko were often super affectionate towards each other in and out of band practice. She just dismissed it as hand-holding or extensive raid talk or kissing on their tippie-toes.

But when she was alone, she could feel herself holding back a snarky comment every time Tae wrapped a finger around Sayo's long hair or whispered in her ear a bad pun. Sayo herself was not a visibly affectionate person, but Yukina saw her face blush occasionally or her eyes darting away whenever she wanted to change the subject. Not so long ago, Yukina was the straight-faced one while Lisa told her bad jokes…

She bit at her eraser. A sudden realization dawned on her. Lisa was just her friend…right? Friend, bandmate, next-door neighbor. They grew up together, shared secrets and seasonal colds together, finished each other's (mostly Yukina's) leftovers. Whenever one of them was feeling down or upset, they would usually go to the other first to talk and feel better. Yukina couldn't count how many times Lisa helped her out or put a smile on her face. Without Lisa's support Roselia would've never shaped the way it did. Yukina, too, might have been shaped differently…

"Minato-san?"

Yukina coughed up the piece of eraser she bit off. Sayo stared at her, startled. "I asked if you wanted to join Hanazono-san and me for lunch," she said. "We were going to eat some fries from McWubbubs to help restore our brain power."

"No, thank you. You can go without me."

Sayo raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? It's not good for your allotted nutrients when you skip meals."

"It's fine. I'll make something."

She could feel that knowing stare, that stare that anyone in Roselia gave her whenever she mentioned the mere thought of cooking. Tae smiled, oblivious, as she took Sayo's hand. "Well, if you're sure, we'll add some extra fries in the bag to bring home."

"Minato-san can't cook, though-"

"Let's go, Sayo."

Sayo was led out of the house, and soon Yukina sat at the table by herself. She looked at the minimal progress she made on her homework, then felt her stomach groan wit hunger pains. As bad as she was with cooking, perhaps working with her hands would help distract her.

Yukina stared blankly at the cabinets. A box of cake mix caught her eye. ''

As she closely followed the directions, idly mixing ingredients in a bowl, her thoughts drifted to her previous attempts. It wasn't that she couldn't cook; rather, she often left out one crucial ingredient that made her dishes unappealing. There was the salt instead of sugar in the brownies, the overcooked yakisoba, the undercooked tofu, the super dry cookies…Lisa and her dad were the only ones to try every one of her failures, and both person's reactions were to take her out somewhere to eat every time. However, Yukina was grateful that every time, Lisa tried to eat as much of her cooking as possible. It made her heart hurt not as much.

She was mixing in the final ingredients when she heard the familiar notes of a bass. They were faint, meaning that Lisa was still in her bedroom, but Yukina could imagine them as clear as ever. A lump formed in her throat as she put the cake in a pan and placed it in the oven, wishing she was closer to the music.

While Yukina waited for the cake to bake, she set aside her homework and put her head down, Phil purring in her lap. The only sounds in the room were the sounds of the bass. It sounded like Lisa was practicing one of Roselia's recent songs. Yukina shut her eyes, humming along to the notes as if she were in the room with Lisa. They would have to double down on practice once Lisa's arm healed. Her playing was a little sloppy but pretty solid.

She didn't know how long she'd been listening, nor knew when she had fallen asleep, but when Phil batted her face she woke up to smoke surrounding her. Coughing, Yukina jolted from her seat and ran to the oven, opening the door. When she took out the cake, it was a burnt, flat mess, a hole ruptured on one of the sides. Completely destroyed. Her face curled up in distress, not noticing who was standing behind her. "Oh, Yukina…"

"I burnt the cake."

Placing her hands on the counter, Yukina stood over her concoction, trying her best not to cry. Not in front of Lisa. The smoke cleared as the brunette opened the window. They were silent for what seemed like forever, neither girl wanting to look each other in the eye. Then Yukina felt another pair of hands over her own, and she forced herself to look down at her feet. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, "for yesterday and today."

Her hands were squeezed. Looking up, Yukina saw Lisa shake her head, tears welling in her eyes. Her lip was quivering. "No, _I'm_ sorry. I overreacted and I've been regretting it since yesterday. I shouldn't have snapped on you like that. I'm just used to doing everything on my own, eh heh."

"I have to take partial fault at least, though. I didn't have complete faith in you."

"We can have complete faith in each other now. Don't do everything on your own, either. Did you eat yet?"

"…I was going to eat the cake."

There was a snort. Yukina leaned forward when Lisa hugged her and laughed, holding her as tight as possible with one arm. She pressed her face against the brunette's shoulder, allowing herself to lose composure and sob for a few moments. Lisa was warm and smelled nice, and being close to her again felt good. She only stopped when her stomach grumbled again, louder and more aggressively. When she let go from the embrace, she saw Lisa raise an eyebrow at her. "Yukina? You're not actually going to eat that cake, are you?"

"It's my mistake. I'll clean it up."

She grabbed a knife from the rack, cutting up the cake into bite-sized pieces. Behind her Lisa stood next to her, wide-eyed, imploring her not to eat the entire burnt travesty by herself.

They would both have stomachaches later…

* * *

Later that evening Yukina followed the others into the local bathhouse, each carrying some towels and a fresh change of clothes. Tae had suggested it, and while Yukina normally would dismiss the scatterbrained guitarist's suggestions, the group consensus was they all needed a nice, quiet activity. Sayo's and Lisa's eyes perked up at her approval as well, so that was a bonus.

Clutching at her stomach, she watched Lisa's backside. Her stomach already hurt from the burnt cake, but she'd be a determined leader and move forward. There was still a little tension between them, but at least it didn't feel super awkward anymore. Or, at least it didn't feel super awkward like that. There were still lingering feelings when she looked at Lisa, warm and cozy and emotional. A part of her still wanted to ignore them, yet the back of her mind was beginning to give into those emotions. It was better to be sentimental than fighting, right?

Sayo disrobed and stepped in first, placing one careful, probing foot in after the other. Tae followed her and had no shame wrapping her arms around her nude form. "Hanazono-san, a bathhouse is meant to cleanse your mind and body after a long day of productivity," she reprimanded. "You should reconsider your roughhousing."

"The water's warm, isn't it~"

"It is."

Yukina helped Lisa into the tub, one arm around her waist while they slowly submerged. The water was scalding to her touch at first; then she became adjusted to it, the warmth gradually rising to her face. She imagined this was what a cat felt like against a heater, not a care in the world as they curled up in a ball and stretched or kneaded their paws. If Yukina was by herself, she'd be tempted to make some kneading motions underwater.

Her back rested against the tub, and the four girls took in the environment for a while, sighing collectively as they all enjoyed the water. Yukina had gone to the bathhouse a couple of times by herself, but she never had indulged in this way with friends before, least of all close friends. Watching Sayo and Tae placed her own close proximity to Lisa in perspective. It wouldn't hurt to lower her guard a little and enjoy the moment, right?

Her anxiety welled but she ignored it, subconsciously scooting closer to Lisa until their sides touched. She could feel the brunette's eyes linger over her shoulder, and she pretended to ignore that as well, a small smile straining to escape her lips. Being a leader had its perks sometimes, after all. In her usual serious tone she said, "We should bring Ako and Rinko here too one of these days. I think it would benefit Roselia after some of our more longwinded practices."

"Agreed," Sayo said, rubbing her arm.

"I could bake some cookies for a late-night snack after," Lisa added. "What's better after a nice soak than some cookies and milk before bed?"

"You could do that now. I wouldn't mind."

"Hanazono-san, go ask your own band to do that."

"Ahaha…"

Sayo's hand was on the back of Tae's neck, as if she were about to slam dunk the girl's head straight into the water. Lisa giggled, winking at Yukina. "And what do you think, Yukina? It could be additional brain food, in case we need inspiration during our late nights together."

Yukina crossed her arms, looking up to ponder the thought. Her smile broke through. "It would only be beneficial if we gave some milk to the cats as well. We need everyone to be at maximum efficiency."

"But of course. Leave no Roselia member behind."

A jolt like electricity ran up Yukina's spine as Lisa stroked her head with her good hand. Her fingers were soft and her nails well-manicured, a sign that she kept up with her beauty routines despite being a seasoned bass player. Yukina sank further into the water and hummed, content. "Lisa?"

"Hmmm?"

"Let's not fight ever again."

"You know that's hard to do, right? Even the best of friends fight sometimes."

Yukina's golden eyes had a spark of determination in them, and she looked at the other girls straight in the eye. Even though Ako and Rinko weren't with them at the moment, her heart thought of them as well. Understanding the look in her eyes well, Lisa replicated her gaze, nodding as she spoke. "We'll make it work."

Later that night the remnants of cookies and milk were put off to the side and kittens were zooming back and forth across the bed despite only the moonlight shining through the window. Phil kept running back and forth across Yukina's belly, hitting her ticklish spots and earning a small chuckle from the Roselia leader. Lisa was on her usual side, her bad arm propping her as her hand loosely wrapped around one of the other kittens' tails. "They're so much more active at night, huh?"

"Some of the greatest minds come up with their best work at night," Yukina murmured, appreciating Lisa's head touching her own.

"Well, they're being so rambunctious tonight because we left them alone most of the day," Sayo countered, scowling but with a slight hint of amusement in her voice. She laid on Yukina's other side.

Lisa pursed her lips, smirking. "They'd benefit from your attention as well, Sayo-san. Aren't they a little similar to Tae-chan's rabbits?"

"Yeah, aren't they a little similar to my rabbits?"

On Sayo's other side Tae also smirked. The blue-haired girl scowled for a few more seconds, then reached up and grabbed the nearest kitten to her, holding her close to her chest. The kitten batted a paw at her hand a few times, then nuzzled her hand, earning a sigh and a soft smile from Sayo. "Honestly, you two are as bad as my sister. Both of you. If you're going to make me share this bed and cuddle cats, the least you can do is let me sleep a little. Minato-san?"

"Sleep is important for the mind and body, ladies." Loathe as Yukina didn't want to end the day, Sayo was right. "There'll be other days to cuddle cats. Good night."

Yukina kept her eyes open as Sayo and Tae exchanged good nights until finally she heard a quiet, "Good night, Yukina."

And her eyes shut, Lisa's head on one shoulder and Phil on the other.

* * *

 _I didn't mean to take 6+ months to finish this chapter, and then I got stuck / depression, blah blah. The good news is I'm hoping to make the next chapter the last, if not the one after that for sure (I feel like it would be stretched out if I did that, though, so I'm leaning towards the former)._

 _just a quick heads-up that the next chapter probably won't happen til at least after the new year, though. I have a different project that I need to take priority on first, and I wanna have enough brainspace to make both things satisfying. c:_


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